


The Lady's Honor

by jjonesin4



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 1950s Slang, 1950s era sexism, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Archie is such a jerk, Bughead endgame, But I won't, Chauvinism, Don't worry, Drag Race, F/M, Greaser Jughead Jones, I want to title this "Archie is a jerk", Kissing, Prep Archie Andrews, Protective Archie Andrews, Sassy Jughead Jones, Sexual Harassment, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, There is no interaction between Betty and Archie at this point, Threats of Violence, it's problematic, maybe some smut will come later, they're all talk, this is all bughead, this started as a drabble challenge and escalated quickly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24362569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjonesin4/pseuds/jjonesin4
Summary: Archie Andrews' life is peachy keen. He's the captain of the football team at Riverdale High and he has the attention of two of the most popular girls in school. They are both beautiful, smart, and, um, did he mention beautiful? Archie just might be the luckiest fella in all of Riverdale. That is until one fateful night at Pop's Diner when the Serpent Prince dares to chat up Betty Cooper while Archie is there on a date with Veronica Lodge.ORA 1950's AU of Northside Preps vs. Southside GreasersI don't own the characters, obviously.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Reggie Mantle, Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 255
Kudos: 366
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	1. Not a Duel

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a drabble for the Bughead & Friends May Drabble Challenge. It got wildly out of control, so I decided to post it to AO3. The genre was historical fiction and the prompt was duel. 
> 
> Many thanks to @hellodinoflower for coordinating the challenge and providing the awesome prompts. 
> 
> There's definitely potential to add a lot more to the story, but I don't know when so subscribe if you like :)
> 
> I would greatly appreciate any kudos or comments! You can also Tumbl with me @jjonesin4

Pop’s Diner is the only place in Riverdale where teens from both sides of the tracks can stand each other. There is an unspoken rule that north of the door’s iconic bell is Bulldog territory filled with handsome jocks in letterman jackets and pretty girls in soft pastel skirts and south of the bell is Serpent turf littered with leather jacks, switchblades, and greased hair. The counter, bathrooms, and jukebox are neutral, but students from Southside never address Riverdale students and vice-versa. 

Archie Andrews, captain of the 1959 Riverdale High football team and frontman for his band _The Archies_ , is sharing a chocolate milkshake with Veronica Lodge snuggling close on the same side of the booth closest to Pop’s new jukebox ironically crooning _I Only Have Eyes For You_. His letterman jacket is wrapped around her tiny frame and he has to admit that she looks good in it. Archie feels like the luckiest fella to have the attention of not one, but two, of the most popular cheerleaders in school. He knows he should ask one of them to go steady, but they are so different and swell in their own way. 

Betty Cooper, the epitome of Northside perfection, is the obvious choice. She lives next-door, has a family held in high esteem in town, is whip smart, sweet as candy, and very thoughtful. Betty would make the ideal wife after they finish college. Archie doesn’t like to try much with Betty out of respect. Maybe a part of him wants to keep her innocent and pristine until he’s ready to settle down. 

Until then, there’s Veronica Lodge. She is also beautiful and extremely smart, but polar opposite to Betty Cooper. Veronica is fashionable, sophisticated, and fast. Where Betty bakes cookies to turn Archie’s eye, Veronica takes a more physical approach. 

His train of thought is derailed when Veronica takes the cherry from the top of the shake and bites into it slowly while keeping eye contact. Archie swallows hard and leans in for what he knows will be a primo kiss. Before his lips reach their destination he is interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. Reggie motions for him to get up to discuss whatever Bulldog business he has away from his date. Archie gives Veronica’s knee a squeeze under the table and says, “Hold that thought! Please excuse me for a second. I’m so sorry, baby.”

Archie’s sweet expression turns to annoyance as soon as he catches Reggie’s eye. “Lay it on me, Reggie, and quick. I think if I play my cards right I can end the night at Lover’s Lane.”

“Sorry, Archie. Just thought you might want to know that it looks like a Serpent is bird dogging Betty. Everyone in Riverdale High knows you have dibs on her and Veronica, but the word might not have spread south of the tracks,” Reggie says quietly and points to the other end of the diner where a snake is, in fact, slithering up to his sweet angel seated alone at the counter with a book and a forgotten plate of fries. 

The sight rattled Archie’s cage. How dare those lowlife greasers even share the same air as the likes of Betty Cooper let alone address her! Before he can charge up to the leather clad delinquent Veronica clears her throat effectively getting his attention back to his date. Torn, Archie quickly thinks of a solution that allows him to continue to have his cake and eat it too. 

“Reg, can you and the guys take care of this? I will step in if you need me,” Archie says softly with a pat to his friend’s back. 

“No sweat,” Reggie responds with a delightful crack of his knuckles. 

Reggie whistles and the other Bulldogs quickly assemble behind him while Archie returns to the waiting lips of Veronica. 

Chuck Berry’s guitar starts strumming the opening of _Johnny B. Goode_ from the jukebox as the group of Northsiders in their khakis, clean haircuts, and blue and gold jackets cross the invisible boundary of the bell to confront the audacious Serpent. 

Before Reggie and the Bulldogs can reach the Northside damsel in distress a wall of Serpents in leather jackets, heavy motorcycle boots, and slicked back locks forms.

Pop Tate can see the writing on the wall so he cuts the music and demands that everyone get outside before they destroy his diner. The diner empties to the parking lot with plenty of shoves and name calling, but, surprisingly, no stabbings. 

Archie joins the Bulldogs at this point leaving a miffed Veronica to hold back Betty from her attempts to break up the impending rumble. 

Archie marches up to the vulture in the dumb knit hat with pointed edges to make it look like some pseudo-crown. His teammates are just a pace behind him looking every bit as furious as their red-headed leader. The Serpents are standing at the ready behind their leader looking more dangerous than irate. 

“Why were you talking to my girl?” Archie fumes.

“Your girl? There’s no ring, no jacket, no pin, and, well, no you,” Jughead responds cooly. “If I remember correctly, you were necking with another girl right in her eyeline.”

“She’s a Vixen and therefore completely off limits to the likes of you and any other Southside trash!” Archie shouts. 

“I think it’s up to Betty who is ‘off limits,’ Howdy Doody,” Jughead fires back. “But if she’s interested, I would definitely love to find out if she’s a real vixen.” 

Jughead delights as Archie’s face goes as red as his hair at that statement. 

“You just crossed the line, bucko,” Archie shouts while pointing furiously. “I challenge you…”

“A duel over the lady’s honor? What century is this?” Jughead tauntingly interrupts. 

“Not a duel, dip stick. A race. You against me. Dead Man’s Curve at midnight,” Archie challenges. “Are you in?”

  
  



	2. We Have to Stop Meeting Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead finally meets a girl that catches his attention. She shares his love of controversial literature and seems to enjoy his sarcastic nature. The only catch is that she has a boyfriend.
> 
> For now.

The Riverdale Public Library is one of Jughead Jones’s favorite places in town, even if it is just North of the tracks. It’s always nearly empty so he doesn’t get hassled by uppity Northsiders or have to keep up his Serpent persona for any Southsiders. He is thankful to be on the good side of Mrs. Applebee, the old librarian with cat-eye glasses and a pencil stuck in her tight French twist of grey hair. She has seen Jughead grow up, so the snake on his back does not concern her like it would others. Mrs. Applebee respects a boy that prefers the company of books to people and who always returns his books on time in satisfactory condition. 

Jughead would bet that the reason for the lack of foot traffic is because nine out of ten times a kid tells their parents that they are going to the library to study or do homework, the kid never steps foot in the library. They meet their friends to ride bikes or play baseball in the abandoned field next to the Twilight Drive-In. Or, when they get into high school, his peers sneak off for secret dates or to meet up with friends that parents might not approve of. 

The one exception he has found is a girl that looks about his age that is always working at the back table sandwiched between Literature and a window with a view of a towering maple tree. For years he would notice the Northsider in her perfectly pressed pastel skirts, shirts buttoned all the way up, soft cardigan sweaters, saddle shoes, and her ever present blonde ponytail without a hair out of place and he would roll his eyes at little miss goody-two-shoes doing her homework as instructed. 

A month ago Jughead was browsing the aisles looking for his next book to devour when the bouncy blonde ponytail caught his eye at her unofficial table and he noticed that she didn’t have textbooks cracked as he expected. Rather unexpectedly she was reading Orwell. 

Very few people surprise Jughead, so this made an impression. The next week she had her nose in Nabokov . A few days later she was reading Steinbeck. This week she is rolling her eyes to Hemingway and Jughead can’t stop himself from approaching her. 

“Have you read any Salinger?” he asks.

It took a couple seconds for the girl to realize he was talking to her. “Pardon?” she replies politely. 

“Salinger. Have you read any of his books?” he repeats with a raise of his eyebrow at her puzzled look. “I’ve noticed that you have an affinity towards banned books so I thought I would ask.”

Her cheeks blush pinker than her sweater and Jughead can’t help but smile at her obvious embarrassment at being caught. 

“I have to say, I didn’t have you pegged as someone that would read those types of books,” he says with a smirk. “No offence, but you look sort of square.”

“Are you calling me a phony?” she responds with a playful glint in her eye.

“So you have read Salinger,” Jughead says triumphantly. The girl shrugs coyly in response. 

“Jughead Jones,” he introduces himself and extends his hand for a friendly shake.

The girl quirks her head to the side, looks at his waiting hand with lovely green eyes, and smiles in amusement before standing and taking his hand. “Betty Cooper. A pleasure to meet you.” 

“That’s not usually what Northsiders say to me,” he quips. 

“Perhaps the jacket intimidates them,” Betty replies nicely.

“Or the switchblade,” Jughead responds with a shrug. To his delighted surprise, Betty doesn’t tremble in fear at the big, bad gang leader, in fact, she seems keen on continuing their conversation. Jughead never flirts, but it comes out naturally around this girl. 

“I think we solved this mystery, Sherlock,” she jokes. 

“So what’s your story, Betts? You a paper shaker at Riverdale High? Top of your home ec class?” Jughead asks.

Betty prickles a bit and responds, “You writing a book or something?”

“Yes, actually,” he says cooly. “But honestly I’m just interested in getting to know you.”

Her slightly icy demeanor melts and a small smile graces her face once again. 

“I’m the editor of the student newspaper, head of the yearbook club, and I would prefer to take auto shop to home ec if I was allowed,” she says with her hands on her hips. “But also, you’re right, I do know how to sew a button, bake delectable cookies, and happen to be the co-captain of the cheerleading squad,” Betty says with an adorable roll of her eyes. “What about you? Are you the boy I’ve been warned to stay away from? You ride a motorcycle, start fights, and get into other general greaser hijinks?”

Jughead barks out a laugh. “First, and foremost, I don’t grease my hair,” he says seriously with a point to his head of thick, black waves barely tamed by a knit cap with pointed edges like a crown. “Second, I don’t start fights, but I will end them,” he continues, once again filled with flirtatious mischievousness. “The rest is right. I run a motorcycle gang, so it would be ridiculous if I didn’t ride a motorcycle,” he says taking a step closer so his hips hit the table where she is positioned on the other side, “and I’m definitely the boy you’ve been warned about.”

Betty tries to stifle a smile and shakes her head causing her ponytail to gently swish back and forth. 

“I think there’s more to Jughead Jones than meets the eye,” she says looking up at him with those entrancing green eyes. He feels drawn to her like a magnet and revels in the invisible force pulling him towards her. 

“Guess I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, even if the cover is very pretty,” he says smooth as apple butter. 

Jughead delights when Betty’s porcelain skin blushes that pretty pink again. He leans his head closer to hers, furious that this stupid table is wedged between them. He wants her pressed up on the wall with him lazily leaning next to her. 

“What are you doing tonight?” Jughead asks boldly. That seems to break the trance and Betty straightens her stance and rolls her shoulders to regain her perfect posture. She looks kind of like a pod version of the girl he’s been talking to and he hates that this world expects all of the interesting aspects of her to be hidden behind this Northside facade. 

She folds her hands in front of her primly and says, “I have a boyfriend,” with a hint of guilt. 

“Really? Where is he? I’d love to meet him,” Jughead bluffs. 

“I think he’s at football practice,” Betty responds.

“Quarterback? All-American?” Jughead bites back sarcastically.

Betty nods and looks a little embarrassed. Jughead regrets making her feel bad just because he’s jealous. 

“Ain’t that a bite,” Jughead mutters to himself. 

“Are you done poking fun at me?” she asks, narrowing her eyes. 

Jughead warms at the return of her playful spirit and responds, “I haven’t decided yet.” 

“I guess let me know when you decide, because I’ve enjoyed talking to you up to this point and hope that maybe we could be friends,” she responds genuinely. 

Jughead brightens a bit more and says, “I would like that.”

They stand looking at each other for a few moments not knowing what to say but enjoying each other’s company. 

Jughead catches a glimpse at the clock on the wall by the window behind Betty and realizes that he was supposed to be at the Whyte Wyrm 20 minutes ago. Betty notices his sudden frown and turns around to see the clock. 

  
  


“Do you have to go?” Betty asks with a tinge of disappointment. 

“I don’t want to,” Jughead responds, “but yeah.” He looks down at the book on the table with a pink ribbon sticking out to mark her place. 

“I’ll let you get back to Ernie,” he teases with a nod towards the book.

“I didn’t know you were such good pals,” Betty plays back. “Maybe you can introduce me sometime.” Her face lights up when she teases him and Jughead has a hard time looking away so he just smiles slyly and shrugs leaving the “maybe” unsaid. 

“Later, Betts,” he says while walking backwards towards the door with a cocky smirk on his face. 

He almost trips when she gives a little wave and responds, “I look forward to it, Juggie,” mirroring his smirk. 

* * *

Jughead keeps replaying his short time with Betty in his mind, causing him to completely zone out during the meeting at the Wyrm. Thankfully, he’s known as the strong, silent type so nobody notices that he is lost in his daydreams. 

After the meeting the younger Serpents decide to head over to Pop’s for their standard Saturday night hang. The door opens with a familiar ding and Jughead checks the left side while Sweet Pea checks the right to make sure there’s no trouble lurking. Jughead doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary on the north side of the bell. The jukebox is crooning out a sappy song while the Northside jocks in their garish blue and gold jackets make eyes at their dates.

Jughead looks back to Sweet Pea whose attention is fixed on the counter where people from both sides of the tracks can sit when they’re flying solo. His eyes widen when he realizes what, or rather who, Sweets is staring at. 

“Jug, would ya look at this blonde Northside kitten at the counter!” Sweet Pea says into Jughead’s ear. “God, I want to make her purr.” 

“Cool it, Sweets. It’s a girl, not a car,” Jughead responds trying to keep his cool. 

“I don’t know, Jug, she looks like a cherry ride,” Sweet Pea jokes.

“Dibs, Sweets,” Jughead spits. “Lay off.”

Sweet Pea puts his hands up in a surrendering motion and makes his way to their booth, happy that Jughead finally seems interested in chasing girls over books. 

Jughead takes a minute to watch her sip a strawberry shake lazily as she reads  _ For Whom the Bell Tolls _ . He’s struck with how unaffected she is by her surroundings. All the booths are filled with rowdy teenagers joking with friends and making out with dates like the Bulldog with the red hair by the jukebox. Betty is the calm in the storm and his fingers twitch for a pen to write sonnets about her on the back of an available napkin. 

Unbeknownst to Jughead, one Reggie Mantle was watching him watch Betty. 

Jughead lets out a breath, squares his shoulders, and walks up to counter. He leans into the counter propping himself up on one elbow. She doesn’t notice him yet, so he pops a fry from her plate into his mouth. It’s cold, but he thinks it might be the best thing he’s ever tasted. 

“We have to stop meeting like this, Betts,” he says flirtatiously. 

Betty looks up from her book and swallows her sip of strawberry shake hard enough to make her cough a bit in surprise as Chuck Berry’s guitar starts strumming the opening of  _ Johnny B. Goode _ from the jukebox. Before she can respond, her attention is stolen by a group of preppy Bulldogs looking for a fight. 

He sees the fear in her eyes and instinctually steps in front of her to keep her safe. 

Before the gaggle of jerks can reach the counter a wall of Serpents forms.  _ In unity there is strength,  _ he thinks, grateful for his crew. 

Next thing he knows Pop Tate has kicked everyone out and the raven haired chick that was practically in Big Red’s lap earlier has her arms around Betty and the Bulldogs are approaching him and the other Serpents. 

The red head with a captain’s C on his jacket makes his way to Jughead with what looks like the rest of the Riverdale High varsity football team marching in formation just a pace behind him. 

Jughead senses the presence of his fellow Serpents behind him and relaxes into his gang persona. He’s ready to play with these stray dogs. The thing about Jughead is that he plays to win.

“Why were you talking to my girl?” Big Red fumes.

“Your girl? There’s no ring, no jacket, no pin, and, well, no you,” Jughead responds coolly. “If I remember correctly, you were necking with another girl right in her eye line.”

Jughead feels smugness wash over him at calling out this asshole. 

“She’s a Vixen and therefore completely off limits to the likes of you and any other Southside trash!” he shouts, spitting a little as he does so. 

Feeling emboldened by getting such a rise out of his opponent Jughead fires back, “I think it’s up to Betty who is ‘off limits,’ Howdy Doody. But, if she’s interested, I would definitely love to find out if she’s a real vixen.” 

_ That did it! _ Jughead delights as Captain All-American’s face goes as red as his hair. 

“You just crossed the line, bucko,” he shouts while pointing furiously. “I challenge you…”

“A duel over the lady’s honor? What century is this?” Jughead tauntingly interrupts. 

“Not a duel, dip stick. A race. You against me. Dead Man’s Curve at midnight,” Archie challenges. “Are you in?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your interest! I really appreciate your kudos, comments, and shares! Since this all started with a drabble challenge, I don't have a plan. I'm writing and posting to get the story out of my brain and onto your screen. It's unedited, so I apologize for any errors. 
> 
> <3 <3 <3


	3. Enjoy It While It Lasts

Betty feels like she is walking on a cloud the few blocks to get home from the library. Talking to Jughead was as natural as breathing. It’s the first time that she ever spoke to anyone so candidly. After all, why would she worry about censoring herself around a Serpent? Jughead doesn’t know “perfect Betty Cooper,” so she felt safe to joke and tease and challenge this dreamy boy that was interested in getting to know her. She’s never felt so free! 

Her giddiness begins to fade as she reaches Elm Street. She smooths her skirt and straightens her back in preparation to face her overbearing mother, Alice Cooper. With a steadying breath, Betty tightens her ponytail and opens her red front door. 

“Where have you been, young lady?” Alice asks suspiciously. 

“The library,” Betty responds with her eyes cast downward. 

“Did you finish all of your homework? We can’t have any slacking just because it is close to summer,” Alice harps.

“Yes, mam,” Betty says with an obedient nod. “My homework is complete and ready for review if you would like to double check.”

Alice seems to accept her daughter’s response, but prickles with the subtle challenge in her voice.

“Are you seeing Archie tonight?” Alice asks with an arch of a perfectly plucked eyebrow. 

“No, mam.”

“Well, why not?” Alice inquires coldly.

“He has a date with Veronica,” Betty replies, embarrassed. 

Any warmth that her mother may possess ices over at her response. “That Lodge girl, again?” Alice says incredulously. “Honestly, Elizabeth, how will you ever secure an appropriate husband if you can’t even get this boy’s full attention?”

“I’m sorry, mother,” Betty says submissively, “I have done everything you’ve told me to do. I wear the clothes and make up you pick out for me, I stick to my diet, I brush my hair and wash my face all to make sure I look good for him. I bake him his favorite sweets and cheer for him at games. I listen when he talks and compliment him as instructed. I don’t know what else to do.”

“Elizabeth, you are acting like a child. You have to encourage him as a woman,” Alice scolds. “While still maintaining your purity, of course. Nobody will buy the cow if they are getting the milk for free.” 

“Yes, mam,” Betty says fidgeting in her saddle shoes. 

“Stand up straight, Elizabeth. Posture speaks to a lady’s value,” Alice tuts as she crosses the room to the bookshelf to gather a rather thick book. She places it on Betty’s head to balance. “Now walk around the room three times without letting the book fall. If it falls, you start again, understood?”

“Yes, mam,” Betty responds, starting her laps.

“Do you know where Archie is going tonight?” Alice asks while closely monitoring her daughter’s progress. 

Betty inhales through her nose and responds, “Archie and the other boys on the football team always take their dates to Pop’s on Saturday night.” 

Alice notices a wobble of the book, but Betty is able to correct it before it falls. “Very well, Elizabeth, you are going to Pop’s tonight to distract Archie from that horrible Lodge girl,” Alice says with no room for argument. “No milkshakes or fatty foods. Press the new powder blue skirt I got you. And no books. They make you unapproachable.”

“Yes, mam,” Betty says and hands Alice the book from her head having had successfully finished three turns around the room. Alice shoos Betty upstairs so she can get all dolled up for tonight.

As she gets ready Betty can’t help but think that she would prefer to go back to the library in case Jughead returns. Unfortunately, she knows that her mother will not back down from her obsessive crusade to extend the Cooper influence in Riverdale one marriage at a time. She paired Chick with Josie McCoy and Polly with Jason Blossom so she has ties within city hall and the prosperous maple syrup industry in addition to their position as the owners of the _Riverdale Register_. 

Alice set her sights on Andrews Construction when Archie started walking Betty to school last year. For a while it was fun to have her mother’s full attention. Teaching her about makeup, cooking, and tips on how to boost the male ego. Alice has a curriculum to construct the perfect girl that would put _Good Housekeeping_ to shame. 

Betty was able to easily catch the eye of the boy next door when directed to do so. It was all going to plan until Veronica Lodge moved to town and had something that Betty was not allowed (or willing) to offer. Betty realized that her feelings for Archie were just on the surface because she truly didn’t care when Archie’s eyes would wander to Veronica’s sleek, fitted skirts. 

A week after Veronica arrived, she made it a point to pull Betty aside after cheerleading practice to tell her that Archie had been flirting. She said that she was interested, but that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. Betty took a moment to consider what Veronica said and it seemed almost too good to be true. Betty was looking for something serious, but not physical and Veronica was looking for something physical, but not serious. 

Betty politely let Veronica know that her and Archie weren’t going steady, which seemed to satisfy Veronica’s ethical dilemma of going after another girl’s guy. Shortly after that fateful talk, Archie Andrews made quick work of wooing the two most sought after girls at Riverdale High simultaneously. Unexpectedly, Betty and Veronica fell into an odd friendship fueled with an undercurrent of playful competition. 

Betty continues to reflect on her love triangle as she applies her final coat of Alice Cooper approved _Pink Perfection_ lipstick. She lists the reasons it works as she blots a kiss on a tissue. Archie is the most popular boy in their grade and he’s sweet to Betty. He carries her books and writes her songs. Sometimes he will hold her hand and peck her on the cheek between classes. The arrangement makes Archie and Veronica happy and keeps her mother off her back as much as possible. There’s been no reason to rock the boat. 

_Until now._

Betty tries to throw away that thought along with the lipstick stained tissue. Before she can think any further her mother bursts through the door.

“Stand up, Elizabeth,” Alice says impatiently, “I want to have a look at you.”

Betty stands and does a slow spin, only rolling her eyes when her back is turned to her mother. 

Alice appraises her daughter’s appearance with a pinched expression. The baby blue skirt is free of wrinkles as instructed. The white shirt with Peter Pan collar is buttoned all the way to the top with a thin, soft cardigan in a darker blue that compliments Betty’s completion and blonde hair around her shoulders. Her ponytail is tight and perfectly curled. Her makeup is light, but present enough to make her striking features pop. Alice’s gaze goes down to Betty’s feet and she sighs audibly.

“Betty, we have to be close to getting you into heels full time. These saddle shoes with bobby socks look a little juvenile,” Alice laments. 

“You’re right, mother,” Betty says with her eyes on the ground, “but, only the fast girls at school wear heels outside of dances. I know how we wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea.” 

“I guess these are better than those old Mary-Janes,” Alice concedes with a gesture to her pristine saddle shoes. 

“You look acceptable, Elizabeth,” Alice says. “Now go and make an impression. Ask Archie to drive you home. That should give him an appropriate opportunity to dismiss that Lodge girl.”

“Yes, mam,” Betty responds as Alice makes her way back downstairs. 

Betty hides a book in the waistband of her skirt under her cardigan now that she has passed her mother’s shrewd inspection. She makes her way downstairs and picks up her house key and pocketbook on her way out the door. Betty walks to Pop’s happy to be away from her mother’s watchful eye. 

She only looks back on the turn she would take to go to the library once. 

* * *

Betty spots Archie and Veronica in Archie’s booth as she walks in. Veronica gives her an arch of her eyebrow and Betty makes the gesture for “crazy.” Veronica knows that means Alice Cooper is behind this appearance and rolls her eyes. Betty shrugs and finds an empty seat at the counter. She orders a strawberry shake AND fries as a mini form of rebellion against her mother. 

Betty picks at the fries and takes small sips from her shake as she immerses herself into her book. The bell over the door doesn’t distract her as teens move in and out of the most happening spot in town. She takes another lazy sip of her half melted shake and almost chokes when she hears a familiar voice.

“We have to stop meeting like this, Betts,” none other than Jughead Jones says flirtatiously as he leans on the counter next to her seat. 

She regains her composure as quickly as possible, but before Betty can respond she sees Reggie and the other Bulldogs making their way towards them. All of a sudden her view is blocked by a leather jacket with an angry looking snake. The sight makes her feel weak in the knees and she has to fight the urge to fan herself. There’s movement from the other Serpents on the south side of the bell and before anyone can even get a word out Pop Tate has kicked everyone out of the diner. 

In the parking lot Betty sees Archie join the other Bulldogs and approach Jughead and the Serpents. She knows she has to stop this. And fast. She takes her first step towards the battle line but she is stopped by the surprisingly strong arms of Veronica Lodge. 

“B, you’ve been holding out on me! I would be mad if I wasn’t impressed,” Veronica squeals. “Who, prey tell, is that broody dreamboat?” 

“Not now, Veronica!” Betty hisses as she struggles to break free. It would be a lot easier if she didn’t have to wear the Alice Cooper required girdle. 

“No way, B,” Veronica says with an excited shake of her head. “I want to watch these yummy boys duke it out.

“V!” Betty yells.

“Shush! I don’t want to miss a word!” Veronica insists as she cups her hand to Betty’s mouth. Betty gently moves her friend’s hand and settles in with the rest of the spectators. 

“Why were you talking to my girl?” Archie fumes. Betty winces, not sure if from disgust or embarrassment

“Your girl? There’s no ring, no jacket, no pin, and, well, no you,” Jughead responds cooly. “If I remember correctly, you were necking with another girl right in her eyeline.” 

Betty’s eyes widen and she looks at Veronica as her friend stifles a laugh. 

“She’s a Vixen and therefore completely off limits to the likes of you and any other Southside trash!” Archie shouts. 

“I think it’s up to Betty who is ‘off limits,’ Howdy Doody,” Jughead fires back. “But if she’s interested, I would definitely love to find out if she’s a real vixen.” 

Betty didn’t know she could blush so hard. Those words made her burn hot all over and she wasn’t sure if it was from outrage or intrigue. 

“You just crossed the line, bucko,” Archie shouts while pointing furiously. “I challenge you…”

“A duel over the lady’s honor? What century is this?” Jughead tauntingly interrupts. 

“Not a duel, dip stick. A race. You against me. Dead Man’s Curve at midnight,” Archie challenges. “Are you in?”

Jughead looks over his shoulder to the other Serpents and they all burst out laughing. He takes a second to lock eyes with Betty as he turns to face Archie and Betty feels the air sucked out of her lungs with just that look.

Jughead takes a few steps to get right in Archie’s face and he gives Archie a toothy grin. Betty swears he can see steam coming out of Archie’s ears at this point. 

Jughead takes a step back and looks at Betty again before bringing his attention back to Archie. 

“Well, Red, I think the lady in question should get a say,” Jughead says and then looks at Betty. This time he doesn’t break eye contact. “What do you think, Betts? You want a race? Pistols? Sabers? Fists? First blood or to the death?” There’s a teasing lilt to his voice, but the edge of seriousness cannot be missed. 

Betty is shocked that Jughead would ask HER how to proceed. She stands hypnotized by his eyes _(and mouth)_ until Veronica’s bony elbow makes its way into Betty’s ribs. Betty shakes her head causing her ponytail to swish to and fro. She squares her shoulders and narrows her eyes at both boys now waiting for her reply. Archie looks irate and Jughead looks downright smug. 

“As entertaining as all of those options sound, I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night,” Betty says diplomatically. “Archie, why don’t you give me a ride home?”

Betty crooks her arm in invitation for Archie to escort her and Archie puffs his chest triumphantly. Betty thinks he’s one breath away from crowing like Peter Pan and tries to suppress a giggle at the mental image. 

“Gee, Betty, as much as I would love to put this riff raff in his place, I want you in my arms more,” Archie boasts. 

Jughead’s jaw tightens, but he steps back to fall in line with the rest of the gang. 

Archie locks arms with Betty and the rest of the Bulldogs return to their dates. Betty grabs Veronica’s hand to pull her along to the car with them. As they make their exit she catches Jughead’s eye and he winks. Between the butterflies flying around her stomach at his attention and the adrenaline of breaking up the fight she has to stop herself from physically swooning. 

“Enjoy it while it lasts, Red,” Jughead taunts to the backs of the Northsiders. “Later, Betts,” he says loud enough for them all to hear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this clears up the dynamic between Betty, Archie, and Veronica. 
> 
> Once again, it's unedited so I'm sorry for any mistakes. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I love your comments <3


	4. He Doesn’t Grease His Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Lucy, you have some ‘splainin’ to dooo,” Veronica teases in a thick Ricky Ricardo accent.
> 
> “Oh shush!” Betty huffs out as she stares daggers at her giggling friend. 
> 
> “No, Ronnie’s right,” Archie snaps. “Betty, have you been stepping out on me with that...that...Southside greaser?”
> 
> “He doesn’t grease his hair,” Betty blurts out and then proceeds to flush bright red in embarrassment. 
> 
> Veronica laughs so hard she lets a very unladylike snort slip out. 

Archie’s elbow tightens painfully around Betty’s arm as they make their way to his car with an extremely amused Veronica following close behind. Archie opens the back passenger door for Veronica and then the front passenger door for Betty. 

Betty fiddles with the shiny lock by her arm in an attempt to quell her rising anxiety. Her mindless flicking is disrupted by the loud slam of Archie’s door and his clumsy shuffling into the driver’s seat. She keeps her eyes on the black and white of her shoes but she knows that Archie is staring at her.

“Lucy, you have some ‘splainin’ to dooo,” Veronica teases in a thick Ricky Ricardo accent.

“Oh shush!” Betty huffs out as she stares daggers at her giggling friend. 

“No, Ronnie’s right,” Archie snaps. “Betty, have you been stepping out on me with that...that...Southside greaser?”

“He doesn’t grease his hair,” Betty blurts out and then proceeds to flush bright red in embarrassment. 

Veronica laughs so hard she lets a very unladylike snort slip out. 

“So you’ve touched his hair? I cannot believe you!” Archie yells, losing what’s left of his cool. “I thought you were better than that, Betty!” 

Veronica quiets at his outburst and Betty is holding back hot tears. 

“It’s not what you think,” Betty says carefully with her eyes again on her shoes. “We met today at the library this afternoon and had maybe a five minute discussion about books and then he said hello at Pop’s. Before I could even respond Pop kicked everyone out and, well, you know the rest.” Veronica squeezes her hand between the headrest and seat to give Betty’s right shoulder a pat. It’s reassuring enough for Betty to look at Archie’s suspicious face. 

“Archie, that’s the whole story, honest,” Betty says while making her eyes big and innocent. “Do you believe me?”

Archie lets out a deep breath and softens at his golden girl. She’s so pretty and he has no reason not to trust her.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Archie says with a pet to her cheek. Betty has to remind herself to lean into his hand and fight the urge to recoil. His touch doesn’t feel the same and she tries to pretend that she doesn’t know why. 

“It’s not your fault that the Serpent scum used you to stir up trouble,” Archie says as he starts up the car and begins to drive. “This should go without saying, but you are to stay away from him and all other Southsiders. Is that clear?”

Veronica catches the regret that flashes over Betty’s face before she rolls her shoulders back and gives her signature sugary sweet smile. 

“Clear as crystal, Archie. I’m sorry about the commotion tonight,” Betty apologizes earnestly. “Thank you for coming to my rescue, even if it was a misunderstanding.”

Archie grins and the tips of his ears get pink with masculine pride. “I would have raced him to the death,” Archie says seriously, “well, his death, to defend my girl.” 

Betty nods and moves her hand towards the middle of the bench seat. Archie takes her hand and brings it to his lips to give it a quick peck before returning their entwined hands to the bench seat. Archie seems to be completely over the drama as he drives happily to the Pembrook. 

Veronica has to stop herself from clapping at that masterful display by her best friend. Betty never fails to impress Veronica with her seemingly effortless maneuvering of the male ego. She thinks, not for the first time, that people seriously underestimate Betty Cooper. 

They pull up to the Pembrook and Archie gets out of the car to open Veronica’s door. Veronica gives Betty a look that says “you are going to spill every juicy detail about that yummy snake” in the few seconds they have together. Betty rolls her eyes and gives Veronica a small wave as she exits the car. 

Archie walks Veronica to the door of the lobby leaving Betty alone for the first time since the whole incident. She lets out a deep breath and throws her head against the headrest not caring if it messes up her hair ribbon. Her heart is racing and she knows she has only moments to compose herself for the short ride home with Archie. She tells herself that she can relive every exhilarating detail tonight in bed, away from the prying eyes of her mother and Archie. 

Betty is sitting with Alice Copper approved posture, hands folded in her lap, and ankles crossed precisely by the time Archie returns. The picture of perfection.

Archie turns on the radio and then takes her hand to hold while he drives them home. Betty smiles sweetly and once again Archie feels like the luckiest fella in all of Riverdale. 

Archie parks the car in his driveway as usual and then makes his way to open Betty’s door so he can walk her to her door. She uses his hand for support so she can swish out of the car with all the grace of a movie star. He guides her towards the walkway with his hand on her back. Her sweater is so soft and Archie can’t help but think of how soft her skin must feel. 

“Thank you for the drive home, Archie,” Betty says as they reach her doorway. 

“Happy to do it,” Archie responds softly as he moves his hands to her shoulders and pulls her closer into a hug. She pulls away after an appropriate amount of time and he kisses her cheek respectfully. 

“Good night, Archie.”

“Sweet dreams, Betty.”

Archie makes his way home with thoughts of both Betty and Veronica swirling in his head. With no other outlet for the testosterone surging through his body, he decides to hit the punching bag in his bedroom to tire himself enough to sleep. 

Betty quickly kisses her mother and father good night before scurrying to her room. She sees Archie beating up his poor punching bag through their windows as she closes her frilly blinds. She falls on her bed and squeals into a pillow finally able to think about Jughead. She wishes she could pour out every detail into her diary from their flirtation in the library to the near rumble at Pop’s, but she knows it’s not safe from the snooping of Alice Cooper. 

Thinking of her mother breaks her spell of giddiness and she gets to the task of undressing, tidying her already pristine room, brushing her hair, and washing her face before getting into her pink nightgown. Betty feels like a doll in a case as she looks in the mirror surrounded by all the pink and lace in her room. 

She’s too excited to sleep so she tries to read in bed to the soft light coming from the delicate porcelain lamp on her nightstand. Hours pass but her mind refuses to focus on the words in front of her. She decides that it’s time to give up on reading and carefully places the book in the drawer of her nightstand under a thick photo album so her mother won’t notice her choice of reading material. She turns off the light and starts to settle into bed when she hears a quiet tapping on her window. 

* * *

  
  


Jughead notices how tight that red headed jerk grabs Betty’s arm as they make their way to a stupid red and white car and he doesn’t like it. Sweet Pea hits his shoulder hard enough to knock his focus back to the amused group of Serpents. 

“Jug, that was badass,” Sweet Pea says with a chuckle. “Too bad we didn’t get to pound on those mangy dogs.” 

Jughead smirks and replies, “Another time, Pea.” 

He keeps his eyes on the car still sitting in the parking lot with Betty no doubt being grilled about her association with the likes of a low-life criminal. 

“Switch me keys,” he says with no room for argument. Sweet Pea gives him a confused look and then sees the blonde ponytail in the preppy’s car. With a knowing smile Sweet Pea tosses his car keys to his broody friend. Jughead catches them without breaking focus on the car and throws the keys to his motorcycle to Sweet Pea in one smooth motion. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that you’re finally interested in something important like pretty blondes, but why did you have to pick a Northside princess? I have a whole black book full of numbers that won’t run scared of your Southside cooties,” Sweet Pea jokes.

Jughead shrugs and says cheekily, “Maybe I like to slay some dragons in my pursuit.” 

“I guess the Serpent Prince is still a prince,” Sweet Pea quips back as he ruffles Jughead’s hat. Jughead pushes his friend playfully before taking off towards Pea’s shiny black car.

* * *

Jughead realizes as he climbs the trellis under Betty Cooper’s window that this stunt is more likely to land him in the big house than with a date, but this girl seems worth the risk. 

“Hey there, Juliet. Nurse off duty?” Jughead jokes softly.

Betty tries to stifle a smile then a wave of terror crashes over her. “What in heaven’s name are you doing? You can’t be here,” she whisper-yells. 

“Betts, seriously, you think I don’t know how to get around undetected? I made sure to wait until all the lights in the surrounding houses were out and all good little Northsiders were tucked in bed,” he responds smoothly. “Well, with one lovely exception,” he says with a smirk and pointed look. 

Even in the glow of the moonlight Jughead can see the flush move from Betty’s forehead to the exposed part of her chest peaking out of the fragile nightgown. Her hair is down and it reminds him of a golden halo framing her angelic face. She looks soft and feminine but something about the spark in her eyes make him think that she’s sharper and more resilient than most. Betty Copper is an enigma and Jughead desperately wants the chance to enjoy the company of this extraordinary girl.

“How do you know where I live?” she asks surprised, but not angry, “And which window is mine?”

Jughead shrugs as much as possible without falling to his death. “I thought the noble thing to do would be to make sure you got home safe so I followed you,” he says. “Then I couldn’t resist saying good night.”

“Can I come in? I would expect better manners on this side of the tracks,” Jughead teases.

Betty shakes her head in a combination of amusement and response. “Absolutely not. If my mother catches you I very much doubt they will ever find the body,” she says with an edge of seriousness. 

“Ok, well then I’m not going to come in, but I don’t want to break this trellis, so maybe I can sit on the window and possibly you can sit on the other side. I promise I will be quiet as a church mouse,” he whispers pleadingly. “But if you want me to go, just say the word.”

Betty can’t believe that he is giving her a choice for the second time tonight. Nobody has ever made her feel like she has a say in her own life and she can’t bring herself to lose that just yet. So she sits on her bay window seat and pats the pillow next to her in invitation. 

Jughead’s face splits into a blinding grin as he makes quick work of hoisting himself through her window quietly. 

“I’ve never seen you at church,” she teases once he gets comfortable with his feet dangling out of the window.

He laughs softly and says, “Yeah, I have more experience with mice than church growing up on the Southside.”

“You won’t get any sympathy from me,” Betty responds, “I feel like I would prefer the company of mice to listening to my father’s horrible singing.”

“I bet the mice would make you pretty dresses like in Cinderella,” he says with a small laugh. Betty gives him an inquisitive look and he shrugs. 

“My little sister loved that movie,” he says, almost too quiet to hear. 

“I did as well! Maybe they will play it at the drive-in again this summer and I could take her,” she responds sincerely. “I’ve always been the youngest sister, but I imagine it could be fun to pretend to be the elder sibling for a night. What’s her name?”

“Jellybean,” he whispers.

“Such a sweet name for no doubt a sweet girl,” Betty says with a warm smile. 

Jughead stills and looks at the moon. Betty sees his pained expression in the moonlight and puts her hand on top of his hand resting on the window seat. He takes it and squeezes as if it is the most precious thing in the world. 

Their moment is interrupted by a rustling of the bushes below Betty’s window. They both look down, eyes wide in fear, to see a fluffy bunny bounce away from the meticulously groomed shrub. Betty has to cover her mouth to suppress a giggle as Jughead lets out a relieved sigh.

“That’s my cue,” Jughead says regretfully.

Betty nods causing her golden hair to fall into her face. Jughead reaches out to push the soft strands behind her ear and he can’t resist letting his hand linger on her warm, soft cheek. She leans into his touch and he thinks that nothing has ever felt so good. This can’t be the last time he sees her.

“When can I see you again?” he asks on the verge of desperation. 

That seems to break the romantic spell cast by midnight. Betty pulls away and now takes her turn to look out into the dark sky. Jughead sees a few tears glimmer in the moonlight and he’s reminded abruptly who he is- Southsider. Serpent. A figurative Montague to her Capulet. 

“Betts, please,” he whispers.

Betty dries her tears and looks at him longingly. Jughead’s heart aches and he wants to crash her into a tight hug. He wants to feel her arms wrap around him. He wants to kiss her frantically. Pour out all of these new feelings bubbling inside of him into her.

But he doesn’t. He can’t.

“Jughead, please,” she says brokenly.

“Can I call you?” he asks.

“No, my mother listens into my calls,” she says. 

“Pop’s seems to be out of the question after tonight,” he laments. 

“Don’t you specialize in being undetected?” she responds playfully.

Betty looks back at the moon for a second and then she turns back to him with a hopeful expression. Jughead smiles as he thinks he has a plan.

“The library!” they both say at the same time. 

“Tomorrow after you’re done with your church mice?” he asks cheekily.

“I can slip away between lunch and dinner,” she replies, invigorated by finding a solution.

“I’ll be at our spot waiting,” he says with a smirk.

“Our spot?” Betty teases, “I believe I’ve been sitting at that same table for years, so I think it should remain my spot.”

“Now it’s my favorite place, so I will share it with you,” Jughead jokes as he makes his way to start his descent down the trellis under Betty’s window. 

“Later, Betts,” he calls softly when he gets both of his boots on the soft lawn. 

“Later, Juggie,” Betty giggles out as she closes her window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I love your comments and kudos :)
> 
> Special shout out to my girl, Lifeandothercomplexities (@honestlyhappymoon on Tumblr)  
> Once again this is unbetaed, so I apologize for any mistakes. 
> 
> Tumble with me @jjonesin4


	5. At Your Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I believe that’s my seat,” she says with a hint of sass.
> 
> “I’d be happy to share, Betts,” he jokes with a pat on his lap. He gives her credit because she plays his lude invitation off with a good-natured eye roll despite the deepening blush blazing from the top of her white Peter Pan collar to her forehead. 
> 
> She shakes her head as she takes a seat in the chair on the other side of the table. Jughead isn’t happy with the space between them, but he has to admit that being able to look at her face-on is almost as good as touching her. 

Alice keeps a close watch on her youngest daughter. Betty reminds Alice of herself and it frankly scares Alice to think of the kind of trouble she got herself into as a teenager. Betty is smarter than Alice was as a kid, but then again, Betty may just be smart enough to hide her indiscretions from her mother. Alice’s fear manifests as suspicion and control, weather it is deserved or not. 

On the other hand, Betty is the apple of her father’s eye. Hal looks at Betty and still sees the little girl with sunny blonde pigtails and grease smudges on her face as she holds the flashlight with a big grin while he changes the oil. Betty has him wrapped around her pinky finger and it irritates Alice to no end because it undermines her authority. 

“How is your homework going, honey?” Hal asks as he drives to Sunday service. 

“It’s going well, but I think I can strengthen my history paper that I was working on yesterday with a few more references,” Betty responds casually. 

“Well, why don’t you go to the library today after lunch?” Hal suggests.

“I think you’re right, Dad. I should just suck it up and go back to the library this afternoon,” Betty responds.

Betty seems to brighten in the back seat and it puts a sour taste in Alice’s mouth. Before Alice can press Betty for more details on her paper Hal pulls into the church parking lot. Alice and Betty wait for Hal to get out of the car and walk around the car to open their doors. The Cooper women make even something as mundane as exiting a car look like a choreographed dance. Their posture is perfect as they move with grace making the layers of crinoline under their perfectly pressed Sunday dresses swish ever so slightly. 

Alice gets too caught up in socializing from their pew in the front of the white church to bother Betty any further about her afternoon plans. The loud hum of the organ makes the other women scurry to their seats and Betty smiles to herself as her father shuffles through the pages of the hymnal. 

* * *

Jughead bounds up the library steps two at a time when it opens at noon. He is thankful that the two places open on Sundays in the Northside are Pop’s and the library, even if there are limited hours at the library. He knows that there’s a chance Betty’s mother will imprison her in her room today like some fairy tale witch, but he will wait in their spot until he is kicked out if there’s even a small possibility of seeing Betty again. 

Mrs. Applebee is unlocking the door as Jughead pulls the heavy door. She falls a little forward, bur rights herself quickly.

“Eager to hit the books, young man?” she says with a hint of teasing. 

“I’m told that a mind is a terrible thing to waste, Mrs. Applebee,” he says with a warm smile. 

“Just put the books back where you find them, Mr. Jones,” she chides.

“I always do, Mrs. Applebee,” Jughead responds as Mrs. Applebee finds her seat at the circulation desk.

Jughead gives the tidy librarian a lazy salute as he makes his way towards Betty’s spot.  _ Their spot. _ The dark wooden table and chair look like the other institutional furniture scattered around the library, but he has to admit that the placement of the window and shelves of books makes it feel cozy and private.  _ Intimate. _

The sun casts shadows of the leaves from the majestic maple tree on the table as Jughead settles into the chair and pulls out a crumpled paperback from the inside pocket of his black leather jacket. He leans back in the chair and rests his heavy motorcycle boots on the sturdy table. 

About two hours later he catches a glimpse of a bouncy blond ponytail between the aisles and does his best to play it cool. He leans further back in the chair so it is teetering on just the two back legs. Let her come to him for a change. 

“Fancy meeting you here, Holden,” Betty jokes as she gives a playful push to his copy of  _ Catcher in the Rye. _

Jughead looks up to see two green eyes sparkling with amusement and he almost loses his balance. He’s able to throw his legs off the table and steady the chair. Barely. It was not the smooth exchange he envisioned, but it’s useless to dwell on that now. It would be a crime to waste a second of his time with this doll faced Northersider.

“Woah there, are you okay?” she asks with genuine concern.

“Better than okay now that you’re here,” he confesses. 

The apples of Betty’s cheeks flush pink and Jughead’s mouth runs dry at the sight.

She clears her throat and manages to place her stack of books on the table. 

“I believe that’s my seat,” she says with a hint of sass.

“I’d be happy to share, Betts,” he jokes with a pat on his lap. He gives her credit because she plays his lude invitation off with a good-natured eye roll despite the deepening blush blazing from the top of her white Peter Pan collar to her forehead. 

She shakes her head as she takes a seat in the chair on the other side of the table. Jughead isn’t happy with the space between them, but he has to admit that being able to look at her face-on is almost as good as touching her. 

“How were the church mice, Cinderelly?” he asks as he leans his elbows on the table to get closer.

“Gus Gus sends his regards,” she teases right back.

He chuckles at her playful banter. It’s fun to talk to a girl that can keep up with his snarkiness. 

“Juggie?” Betty squeaks out.

“At your service,” he responds with a wink.

“Why do you want to be my friend?” she asks as she chews on her bottom lip nervously. 

The action is distracting, but Jughead is able to respond, “Um, well, I like talking to you, which is definitely something because I don’t like talking to most people.”

His honesty is rewarded with a warm smile as Betty looks shyly at the table.

“I like talking to you, too,” Betty confesses. “It feels like you actually want to listen to what I have to say,” she continues as she fiddles with the edges of her light pink cardigan. 

Jughead smiles at that. “Of course, Betts. Isn’t listening at least half of a conversation?” he says with a chuckle.

“Not in my experience,” she responds with a shrug. 

“Maybe you’re talking to the wrong people,” Jughead suggests with a playful raise of one eyebrow. 

“And you’re the right person?” Betty teases.

“You said it, Betts, not me,” Jughead says with a smirk.

Betty shakes her head at his flirting and Jughead loves the way her hair bounces from side-to-side. He wants to reach across the table and twirl his fingers lazily through the curls of her ponytail, which, he admits, is a strange impulse for him.

“Seriously, though, who wouldn’t want to listen to you?” he says sweetly. “I’ve only known you a day and I already know that you’re smart and funny and have great taste in books.”

“Easy, Casanova,” she responds playfully.

Jughead puts his hands up in a surrendering motion and Betty lets a giggle slip from her perfectly pink lips. 

“I know, I know,” Jughead replies. “You’re off limits, right?”

“Right,” Betty says with a shake in her voice.

“Betts?” 

“At your service,” she says with a playful wink. Jughead’s hormonal teenage brain short circuits for a second, but he manages to shake it off. 

“Why?” he asks.

“Why what?”

“Why are you off limits?” he asks quietly.

She purses her lips and rolls her shoulders back. He hates when she morphs into little miss prim and proper. 

“Archie is my boyfriend,” she says flatly.

“That jockstrap was with another girl,” Jughead almost shouts. He feels bad when he sees Betty flinch. He takes a breath, trying to keep his jealousy and his surroundings in check. “I’m sorry,” he says softly. “What I mean to say is that if he can date other girls, then why can’t you date other guys?”

Betty actually snorts at the question. “That’s not how it works.”

“Can you tell me how it works?” Jughead asks with genuine curiosity. 

Betty seems surprised by the question, but takes a moment to seriously mull over her response.

“In general, there are different sets of rules for boys and girls,” she says carefully.

“That’s a little too general, Betts,” he says, trying to keep it light.

Betty looks out the window behind Jughead and gets lost in the movement of the wind through the leaves as she thinks of what to say next. 

“So if, hypothetically, we were dating,” she starts.

“I’m already liking this scenario,” Jughead interrupts with a smile.

“Like I was saying,” Betty says sarcastically. “Hypothetically, if we were dating, are you saying you would be ok with me going on dates with other guys?”

“No,” Jughead says with authority.

“See, it’s just different for girls,” she says smuggly, thinking she has proven her point. 

“You misunderstand me, Betts,” he states. Betty arches her eyebrow at him in question. 

“If we were dating, then you would be mine,” Jughead declares, voice lower than his typical teasing tone. “And I would be yours. Only yours.”

Betty bites down on her lower lip and tries to break eye contact, but the air feels electric and Jughead’s typically baby blue eyes have turned dark, like the ocean during a storm. Her skin prickles and Jughead inches his foot closer to hers. The sound of shuffling of Mrs. Applebee’s cart breaks the tension and Betty looks at the clock by the window. 

“I need to find some references for my history paper,” Betty blurts as she starts to stand.

Jughead rises quickly to follow her to the Geography and History section. He walks with her, willing his hand not to reach out for hers. She seems truly flustered and Jughead thinks that this is probably the first time Betty Cooper has ever lost her cool, at least in front of anybody. 

Betty starts picking up books about Marie Antionette and Jughead gestures to the growing stack in her arms as a silent offer to help. Her anxious energy seems to melt away at the offer and she leans closer to Jughead for him to take the books from her. 

“Thank you, Juggie,” Betty says as they make their way back to their table. 

“At your service,” he responds, more seriously than before. 

Betty looks down at her black and white saddle shoes and plays with the edge of her sweater with her perfectly manicured fingers before returning to her seat. 

Jughead watches Betty take neat, detailed notes on the French Revolution from the stack of books they collected. Her yellow pencil swirls over the notebook and he thinks, not for the first time in 24 hours, that he needs more time with this girl. He promises himself that he will figure out a better plan over a cheeseburger (or three) at Pop’s after she has to go home for dinner. 

Mrs. Applebee interrupts Betty’s note taking and Jughead’s re-reading of  _ Catcher in the Rye _ at 4:15 to tell them that the library is about to close. Betty looks at the clock for confirmation as soon as Mrs. Applebee makes her way back to the circulation desk. 

“I guess that’s our cue, Betts,” Jughead says quietly.

Betty smiles at him for the first time since offering to carry her books. “I guess it is,” she says breathily.

“Well, so long, Juggie,” Betty says, voice small and filled with disappointment. 

“Later, Betts,” Jughead responds quietly.

* * *

It’s almost 4 o’clock and Archie is lazily plucking at the strings of his guitar in his room. His mind wanders to the girl next door and looks out his window to see if she is working at her desk or reading in her window. He doesn’t see her, so he rolls out of bed and heads downstairs to see if she’s working in her garage with Mr. Cooper. 

The garage is closed and there is no sign of Betty so he decides to knock on the front door to see if Betty can go for a walk or grab a milkshake. Mrs. Cooper opens the door and flashes him an exaggerated smile. 

“Why hello, Archie. Were we expecting you?” Mrs. Cooper asks sweetly, but with that sharp edge that she can never fully hide. 

“Hi, Mrs. Cooper. No, um, I’m sorry for the intrusion. I was just wondering if Betty is home,” he says, trying to be polite.

“I’m so sorry, Archie. Betty is at the library working on her history paper, but she should be home soon since the library closes in about a half hour.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cooper. If it’s okay with you, then I will make my way over there to walk Betty home.”

Mrs. Cooper looks genuinely happy with him as she nods in approval before giving him a small wave goodbye. 

Betty is walking out of the heavy door of the library just as Archie makes his way up the bottom of the steps. 

“Archie, hi! This is a surprise,” she says loud enough for Jughead to hear and hopefully have the sense to wait until she gets Archie out of sight. 

He smiles as she shuffles down the steps quickly to meet him. “A good surprise, I hope,” he flirts as he reaches to take the books from her arms. 

“Of course a good surprise,” Betty lies as she flashes him a sweet smile that only Veronica would recognize as fake.

Archie grins from ear to ear, thinking that his chiveroulous book-carrying impresses Betty. The walk back to Betty’s house is relatively short, but the minutes crawl by achingly slow for Betty. She does her best to keep up the appearance of being smitten with Archie, but it makes her feel dishonest. She hates to lie to Archie. They were best friends and neighbors before they started...whatever it is they started. Thankfully, Archie is blissfully unaware of her inner turmoil. She tries to bury her feelings further down as they get closer to her house. 

Betty can see the curtains in the formal living room move from what she assumes is her mother spying on them. Before the pair can even make it to the porch Alice opens the red front door looking immaculate in her robin’s egg blue dress with her tiny waist cinched in and classic nude pumps on the stone entrance. 

“Don’t you two make the picture perfect couple?” Alice says with a smirk. 

Archie lets out a small laugh and Betty has to remind herself to relax her face so her mother doesn’t detect the tension coursing through her body.

“Would you like to stay for dinner, young man?” Alice asks, much to Betty’s displeasure. 

“I can never turn down a home cooked meal from you, Mrs.Cooper,” Archie responds charmingly. 

Betty pushes around the meatloaf and mashed potatoes on her plate and tries to not look as upset as she feels. On the other hand, Archie has three helpings and makes polite conversation with her parents about his music and football until it’s finally time to clean up. Betty starts collecting the dishes from the table when Archie stands up as well. 

“Here, Betty, let me help you with the dishes,” Archie offers. 

“Oh, Archie. Aren’t you just the sweetest boy!” Alice coos. “You know, I can take care of this,” she says with a gesture above the table of future leftovers. “Why don’t you take Betty for another walk before it gets too dark? She could use the exercise after that meal.” 

“Meatloaf is my favorite, but it’s definitely a stick-to-your-ribs kind of thing,” Archie says with a chuckle. 

Alice laughs like he’s the funniest man in the world and Betty catches her father mid-eye roll. Of course! The one time she wants her mother to lock her alone in her room she suggests an extension of this impromptu date with the boy that currently makes her skin crawl. 

“Well, shall we?” Archie asks as he offers his elbow to Betty. She has no choice but to roll her shoulders back and offer her mother and Archie that signature Cooper smile as she entwines his arm in the crook of his elbow. 

* * *

  
  


They pass three houses in what Archie thinks is companionable silence. He loves how the changing light of the setting sun makes her milky white skin glow. He wishes he could see more of her, but Mrs.Copper has her buttoned all the way up to her throat. His fingers itch with the desire to get under all of those pastel layers. His daydreaming is interrupted by Betty clearing her throat. 

“Archie, I think we should go back to being just friends,” Betty blurts out while watching her feet move one in front of the other. 

Archie stops and grabs her hand to bring her to face him. She lets out a deep breath and looks up to find a hurt look in Archie’s eyes and she hates to cause him pain. “We were always good as friends, Archie, and I don’t want to force you into a commitment when you’re not ready. I was thinking that since we aren’t going steady, then it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Archie looks down at their joined hands and strokes the soft skin with his calloused thumb. He can’t argue Betty’s logic, but it still feels like a crushing blow. She’s never seemed unhappy, even when he started dating Veronica, so why now? His jaw tightens as well as his grip on her dainty hand. 

“Is this about that Serpent?” he asks, choking back anger. 

Betty looks straight into Archie’s eyes and, without skipping a beat, says earnestly, “Archie, of course not.” She squeezes his hand to try to convey a sense of reassurance. Betty takes his other hand and Archie sees a familiar blush bloom on her cheeks. 

“Maybe I’m reading too many girlish novels, but I can’t help but want to be somebody’s first and only choice,” she confesses. Archie has sense enough to feel shame for making her feel unimportant. 

Betty moves her hand to touch Archie’s cheek soothingly and says, “I know you can’t give me that, and I don’t want to ask you to lie to me.” 

Archie turns away from her. Her words sting like a slap to the face. He knows that this is his fault and Betty is proving, once again, that she is too good for anyone. She’s even thinking about what’s best for him when breaking up with him! 

He wants to fight for her. Fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. Promise that he’ll change for her. Tell her that she’s the only one for him. Tell her anything she wants to hear. 

Archie feels stuck because if he goes with his gut and tries to keep her, then Betty will think that he is lying and he loses her. If he does nothing, then he loses her. It’s too hard for him to navigate so he just squeezes her shoulder and walks away. 

* * *

The rickety stairs shake as he bounds up the three metal steps of a familiar yellow trailer. 

_ Knock Knock Knock _

Jughead pounds on the door enough to shake the wall until he feels the whole trailer shake indicating movement inside. 

“What’s shakin’, Jug?” Sweet Pea asks as he opens the door for his friend. 

“Other than your house?” Jughead quips.

“We’re not all royalty living in that two bedroom palace you call home,” Sweet Pea jokes as he cuffs Jughead’s shoulder. “Seriously, did you just come here to razz me about my shitty trailer?”

“You know me too well, Pea,” Jughead says as a grin paints his usually scowling face. “Want to take a ride?

“Sure,” Sweet Pea says suspiciously. “Do you have a route in mind?” he asks already knowing that Jughead does. 

“I was thinking that we haven’t been by Crossbones lately,” Jughead says nonchalantly.

“Well gee whiz, boss, doesn’t that just sound swell?” Sweet Pea coos sarcastically. 

Jughead keeps eye contact and Sweet Pea realizes that he’s not kidding.

“Are you looking for a Ghoulie rumble?” Sweet Pea scoffs. “If that’s the case we have to round up the crew.”

Jughead smirks as his friend nervously runs a comb through his thick, greased hair. 

“Not necessary, Pea,” Jughead responds as he pushes up on Sweet Pea’s elbow so that the comb jerks up and gets stuck in his hair. Sweet Pea shoves Jughead and wrestles the comb from his snarled black mop with a huff. 

“Don’t worry,” Jughead says with a mischievous look in his bright blue eyes. “I have a plan.”

Sweet Pea lets out a heavy sigh before patting his front, right pocket and shaking his left boot to ensure he has his brass knuckles and switchblade. 

“Let’s roll, then,” Sweet Pea huffs as he puts on his Serpent jacket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your continued interest and support! I'm so sorry for the delay! I got caught up in some weird re-opening angst, a drabble challenge, and a splash of beta-ing. I'm elated to get back to this fun fic and hope the new chapter was worth the wait. 
> 
> Please keep sending your comments and kudos! It really inspires me to keep writing <3
> 
> Once again, I apologize for any mistakes. It is unbetaed because I like to live dangerously. More like I don't want to bother anyone to edit this little love story.


	6. Southside High is Bogus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ok, think about it, Pea,” Jughead says again. If Sweet Pea wasn’t driving Jughead is sure that he would lunge for him. Before it can get to that Jughead continues, “I’ll clue you in. There’s a whole month left of school and it’s a giant waste of time. The teachers are useless and the Ghoulies are always trying to rattle our cages.”
> 
> “That’s not a plan!” Sweet Pea yells, losing his temper.
> 
> “Well, the way I see it, if there wasn’t a Southside High, the district would be split up so that the Ghoulies would go to Baxter in Greendale and the Serpents would go to Riverdale High,” Jughead says with a sly smirk.
> 
> “What do you mean ‘if there wasn’t a Southside High’?” Sweet Pea asks suspiciously.
> 
> “Oh, I’m not sure what that means,” Jughead responds innocently.

“You going to clue me in, or what?” Sweet Pea asks now that they are in his car heading towards Ghoulie turf. 

“Southside High is bogus,” Jughead says flatly. 

“Um, you got me there, Jug,” Sweet Pea says as he shifts gears, “but what does this have to do with the Ghoulies?”

“Everything,” Jughead says with a mischievous smile. 

Sweet Pea raises one eyebrow at his friend in invitation to expand on his thought process.

“Think about it, Pea,” Jughead says with a friendly punch to Sweet Pea’s shoulder. 

“Seriously, Jug,” Sweet Pea says with a hint of impatience, “we’re almost to Crossbones and I need to know what the hell’s going on if you want to make it out of there in one piece.”

“Don’t flip your wig, man,” Jughead scoffs. 

Sweet Pea scowls as he tightens his grip on the wide steering wheel.

“Ok, think about it, Pea,” Jughead says again. If Sweet Pea wasn’t driving Jughead is sure that he would lunge for him. Before it can get to that Jughead continues, “I’ll clue you in. There’s a whole month left of school and it’s a giant waste of time. The teachers are useless and the Ghoulies are always trying to rattle our cages.”

“That’s not a plan!” Sweet Pea yells, losing his temper.

“Well, the way I see it, if there wasn’t a Southside High, the district would be split up so that the Ghoulies would go to Baxter in Greendale and the Serpents would go to Riverdale High,” Jughead says with a sly smirk.

“What do you mean ‘if there wasn’t a Southside High’?” Sweet Pea asks suspiciously.

“Oh, I’m not sure what that means,” Jughead responds innocently. “I wouldn’t want the heat on the Serpents.”

Sweet Pea raises his eyebrow again and Jughead rolls his eyes. 

“Hypothetically, if I were to mention to Malachi that we were just passing through on our way to Greendale and that it’s too bad Southside High is the only thing between the Ghoulies and a whole new Jingle Jangle market at Baxter High and never seeing the Serpents again, I think that the problem would just...you know…” Jughead pauses, “...solve itself.”

“I think it would,” Sweet Pea says in awe of Jughead’s strategic prowess. “Hells bells, Jughead! You can be a real brain when you want to be.”

“What can I say? Cheeseburgers help me think,” Jughead says with a shrug. 

* * *

Betty is thankful that her mother is so happy after Archie’s impromptu dinner that she doesn’t press her daughter for any details on her walk with the boy-next-door. Betty somehow manages to quickly kiss her parents good night and excuse herself to her room without setting off any alarms for Alice. 

When she makes it up the stairs and closes the door to her pink cage, the panic sets in. She runs to her window to pull the curtains tight before covering her mouth with both hands and shaking her head, holding back tears. “What have I done?” she whispers into her hands. 

Betty wants to pace furiously to burn off the nervous energy, but her mother would surely hear that. She wants to talk to Veronica to process everything that happened this weekend, but her mother would never allow ‘that Lodge girl’ to visit. She wants to pour out the overflow of her brain into her diary, but her mother would read it. How did her entire life turn upside down in only two days? She balls her hands into tight fists and releases just before her beautifully polished nails cut into the skin of her hands. Her mother would find any marks. 

Betty wants to scream.

Instead she rips the ribbon out of her hair and inhales deeply through her nose. She exhales roughly and fluffs her hair wildly. Her girdle suddenly feels like it’s suffocating her, so she tries to jerk out of her clothing. There’s so  _ much _ of it! The sweater tangled around her shoulders, the shirt with so many tiny buttons, the heavy skirt with the impossible clasp, the slip that acts as a ridiculous barrier between her outer clothes and her undergarments, the tight girdle, and, finally, the high-waisted white panties and matching brazier. 

Betty rubs the angry, red indents littering her skin left behind from her mother’s mandated attire. She misses the simple dresses and bloomers of her childhood. Misses the years when she was invisible to her mother. 

After a few more deep breaths Betty is able to throw on her nightgown and curl tightly into herself in her bed surrounded by frilly, pink, pillows. She hugs her stuffed cat into her chest and whispers, “Mother is going to kill me, Caramel.” 

* * *

Jughead wakes up early on Monday morning to listen to the radio for any news that would indicate that all the pieces of his master plan are falling into place. At 6:02 AM he sits down at his chipped kitchen table with a mug of black coffee and turns the knob of the ancient handheld radio all the way up, not caring if it wakes his dad currently snoring loudly on the couch. 

The news anchor booms from the small speaker, “And that was your Riverdale traffic report. Going back to the big news today, late last night there was a fire at Southside High. There were no injuries, but the damage was devastating. Cause is still unknown, but the fire marshal and sheriff are investigating. All former Southside High students west of Main Street should report to Riverdale High and all former Southside High students east of Main Street should report to Baxter High for the foreseeable future. Buses will be at the standard bus stops at 7 AM, as usual, to take students to the appropriate school. Now for your weather…”

“Yes!” Jughead exclaims as he quickly stands and turns the dial down. The weather report murmurs on softly in the background as his father groans and turns over so that his face is hidden into the back of the couch. 

Jughead races out of his front door still in his flannel pajama pants and undershirt that he wore to bed. He jumps up the rickety steps and pounds on the door of a small, yellow trailer.

“Too early. Leave now,” he hears Sweet Pea growl from inside. Jughead keeps banging until the door is ripped open to reveal his very angry friend clad only in a pair of plaid boxer shorts. 

“What part of ‘too early, leave now,’ did you not understand?” Sweet Pea groans.

“It worked!” Jughead says with a beaming smile.

“You’re pulling my leg and I can’t deal with you before the sun comes up,” Sweet Pea huffs. 

“Listen to me, Pea!” Jughead says as he pushes past his sleepy friend that is using the door post to support his large frame into the little kitchen. Sweet Pea lets out a long groan and musses his hair before giving Jughead his attention.

“Fine, I’ll bite,” Sweet Pea acquiesces. “How’d it go down?”

“Word is that there was a fire at Southside High last night,” Jughead responds, eyes glittering in victory.

“Arson,” Sweet Pea scoffs as he watches Jughead look for the coffee can, “typical Ghoulies.” 

Jughead gets the coffee going to give the news a minute to settle into his friend’s morning brain.

“Hells bells, Jug!” Sweet Pea exclaims with a smile splitting his face. “Are we going to Riverdale High?”

“Bingo,” Jughead says as he hands his friend a steaming mug of coffee. Sweet Pea takes the mug and sticks out his tongue in disgust at the thick, black liquid before pouring a heaping spoonful of sugar into it. 

“I can’t wait to see the dopey look on those Bulldogs’ faces when we roll in,” Sweet Pea beams as he sips his coffee. 

“We should be ready for trouble,” Jughead says seriously. “Those Bulldogs are too dumb to know not to mess with us.” Sweet Pea nods into his mug. 

“Come on, put on your housecoat or something,” Jughead jokes as he looks over his friend’s lack of clothes. “We need to spread the word and then get ready for our first day.”

* * *

Betty wakes early from a fitful night of sleep to a blissfully empty house. This happens from time-to-time when a big story breaks and her father enlists her mother’s help at  _ The Riverdale Register _ . Betty can’t muster the energy to be curious about today’s headline as she goes about covering up the dark circles under her eyes. She makes her way to the kitchen after taking a little longer to get ready than usual to grab an apple to eat on her walk into school and the lunch pail her mother packed the night prior. 

Thankfully she’s ready to leave about a half hour earlier than Archie would typically knock on her door to escort her to school. Betty is hopeful that her and Archie will fall back into a comfortable friendship, but she doesn’t want to deal with any awkwardness after a night of running through all of the possible consequences of her impetuous actions. 

The fresh, spring air fills Betty’s senses as she makes her solo walk to school. The crisp apple she bites into has the perfect balance of sweet and tang. The simple act of eating the fruit straight from her hand while walking outside instead of demurely taking small bites of a perfectly balanced breakfast at the dining table feels exhilarating. The further she gets from her house, the better she feels about her newly single status. 

As she makes her way through the parking lot of Riverdale High, Betty reminds herself that the world didn’t stop turning after breaking up with Archie Andrews. The sun is out. It’s a new day. Not so different from any other day, right? Her internal pep talk is interrupted when the window of a shiny black Bentley rolls down.

“Elizabeth Ann Cooper, get that cute fanny in this car this instant!” Veronica demands as she moves her sunglasses down dramatically.

“You’re here extremely early, V,” Betty teases as she opens the door and slides next to her friend in the back seat. 

Smithers is leaning on the hood reading the newspaper out of hearing range, but Veronica leans forward to turn up the radio dial so The Chordettes crooning  _ Mr. Sandman _ can drown out the hot gossip her best friend is about to share to any uninvited ears.

“You’re lucky I didn’t send one of Daddy’s goons to kidnap you!” Veronica says with a push to her friend’s shoulder. 

“I wish you would have! I got myself into quite the pickle without your expert guidance,” Betty responds with a sigh.

“We have 28 minutes before the first bell. Now make like a canary and sing,” Veronica says with no room for argument.

Betty raises her pinky up and says, “This all stays locked in the vault, deal?”

Veronica wraps her pinky around Betty’s and confidently replies, “Deal!”

* * *

Veronica is still reeling over the bomb Betty just dropped as they take their seats in Homeroom. She is able to just place her books on the desk when the speaker in the corner of the room comes to life with the familiar chime indicating a special announcement. 

“Attention all students and teachers. Please make your way to the gym immediately for a school-wide assembly. Thank you.”

The bells chime again to signal that the announcement is complete. 

Betty turns to Veronica in confusion, “That’s odd. I wonder what’s going on.”

“Beats me, B. You usually know everything that’s going on before it happens, but I can understand you being a little distracted this morning,” Veronica says with a smirk. 

Kevin Keller leans forward so his head is in between the two girls. “You haven’t heard?” he whispers with excitement at having the scoop on the craziest thing to happen in the town with pep. 

“Don’t hold out on us, Kev,” Veronica whines with a pout of her red painted lips. 

Kevin mimes locking up his mouth and throwing away the key much to the irritation of both Betty and Veronica. 

Betty scoffs and pulls Veronica to her feet. “We’ll find out soon. Let’s just go, V.” Veronica allows her friend to help her to her feet, but sticks her tongue out at Kevin in the process. 

They make their way to the gym and find a spot on the bleachers strategically spaced away from Archie and the other Bulldogs taking up the front few rows in their vibrant letterman’s jackets. 

Betty hears what sounds like the rumble of motors outside, but it is quickly drown out by the horns of Dilton Doiley and some other Adventure Scouts as they march in an American flag to the center of the basketball court. 

* * *

The Serpents roll into the parking lot of Riverdale High on their fierce motorcycles looking every bit the gang that they are in their leather jackets and slicked back hair. Jughead is the first to cut his engine and the rest follow. They begin to walk up the steps of their shiny new school and open the double doors to a tired looking Mr. Weatherbee with his hands on his hips. 

“Former Southside High students, I assume?” Mr. Weatherbee says with a condescending tone. Jughead just nods while the other Serpents stare scarily behind him. 

Mr. Weatherbee motions for them to follow him. “Come with me to the office where you will receive class schedules and student IDs. You should know that I run a tight ship and will not tolerate any tomfoolery. That means no fighting, no disruptions in class, and you complete your assignments.”

After a quick tour (bathrooms, classrooms, office, cafeteria) they end up at the gym where the remainder of the Riverdale High population is finishing up the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Weatherbee makes his way to the center of the basketball court in front of the bleachers filled with standing students and teachers while the Serpents remain on the sidelines. 

Jughead scans the bleachers and zeros in on the blonde ponytail radiating like a golden ray of sunshine. He sees the little brunette that was with Red on Saturday squeezing Betty’s arm and nodding her head in his direction, eyes wide with excitement. Betty’s neck snaps to the side causing her ponytail to hit her in the face. It’s adorable. Jughead can’t help but have a little fun, so he gives her a playful wink, not caring who else sees. He smirks as he watches the blush bloom bright pink on her cheeks. 

“Good Morning, you may all be seated,” Mr. Weatherbee tells his audience. The room shakes with the motion of 300 bodies sitting at the same time, startling Jughead, but he would never admit that. “As some of you may have heard or read already, there was a fire at Southside High late last night. Riverdale High will be the new home for a number of former Southside High students. Let’s make sure to give them a warm Bulldog welcome. Honors Society members, please stay behind. The rest of you can now make your way to your first class period.” 

People file out of the gym in an orderly line, each giving the intimidating looking group of Southsiders a once-over. Jughead feels a little like an animal in a zoo, but he remains stoic as the population of Riverdale High sizes him up. A brooding Archie Andrews knocks into his shoulder on his way out, but before he can push the jerk back Mr. Weatherbee clears his throat. 

“Former Southside High students and Honors Society members, front and center,” the principal commands while pointing to the floor next to his feet. 

A collection of students ranging from preppy to geeky shuffle down the bleachers to the requested location on the basketball court as the Serpents leisurely make their way to the group. 

“I want to make this transition as smooth as possible. This is what’s going to happen,” Mr. Weatherbee says with a warning look to the students surrounding him, “Honors Society members, pair up with a Southside student in your grade. There is a gender imbalance here, so some girls will have to partner up with boys. Home Economics and Shop are the same period for each grade, so all boys will go to Shop while the girls are in Home Ec. Aside from that, the Southside student you are paired with will go to all of your classes and sit next to you in those classes. You will also assist in tutoring your Southside partner if they fall behind in their studies. This will be scheduled around each other’s extracurricular activities. Any questions?”

The Riverdale students alternate between shaking their heads and responding with a mumbled, “No, sir.” 

“Good, you’ll have the remainder of this period to sort out your partners and will be expected in your second period on time. Additional desks have been provided to accommodate the new students,” Mr. Weatherbee says matter-of-factly just before leaving the two sides of the tracks to pair up.

The closing of the heavy door echoes throughout the nearly empty gym signaling the departure of their new principal. 

The Honors Society kids look terrified, with the exception of Betty and her friend all decked out in pearls. 

“So, Betts,” Jughead says with a smirk and raise of his eyebrows, “shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I will be honest, it was tough to get this chapter out. I had such a clear idea of what was going to happen in my brain, but it was hard getting from point a to point b when it came down to actually writing it. Thank you to @sunlitgarden and @lifeandothercomplexities for listening to me whine and for their perpetual support <3
> 
> I LIVE for your comments and kudos, so thank you and please keep 'em coming!
> 
> This is still un-betaed, so I apologize for any mistakes.


	7. We Belong Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty has the shrewd eye of a journalist. It’s only been three days since the Southside students arrived and she sees that Riverdale High is a powder keg of testosterone ready to blow up with a simple light of a match. The question isn’t if, but when and who. Will the Bulldogs try to mark their territory or will the Serpents want to strike preemptively? Between the constant attention of Jughead and the jealous eye of Archie, Betty feels that, unfortunately, no matter the when or the who, she will be the why. 
> 
> She leans against her locker just after her last class and plays with the bottom button of her cardigan as she tries to puzzle out how to disentangle herself from this inevitable turf war. Lost in thought, she doesn’t notice Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Veronica walking towards her.

“So, Betts,” Jughead says with a smirk and a raise of his eyebrows, “shall we?”

“This is UNACCEPTABLE!” Cheryl exclaims over Jughead’s invitation with a stomp of her foot. Cheryl’s outburst tears Betty’s eyes away from the playful boy in front of her and the reality of the situation starts to sink into her consciousness. 

Betty tightens her ponytail and smooths her skirt to center herself before tackling the seemingly impossible task of mending Riverdale’s civil war in less than thirty minutes. She really hates that she has to deal with all of this after not sleeping last night. 

“Take a chill pill, Cheryl,” Veronica snips.

“Well, excuse me, Miss Lodge,” Cheryl says cloyingly, “not all of us at Riverdale High are accustomed to associating with criminals.”

“I do NOT think you want to go there with me,  _ Miss Blossom _ ,” Veronica warns with her hands on her hips. 

The Serpents look like all they’re missing is popcorn as they gleefully watch the two alpha vixens square off. 

“Enough,” Betty states firmly. Suddenly all eyes are on her and she falls naturally into problem solving mode, honed from years of organizing student groups and charity events. Jughead bites down on the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning at her like an idiot. 

“Mr. Weatherbee made it clear that this arrangement is not up for discussion,” Betty says with a pointed glare to Cheryl Blossom, who is twirling her crimson hair around her bony finger in disinterest. “Now, you have five minutes to partner up. If you refuse, then I will have to pull rank as president of the Honors Society and assign the remaining former Southside students and Honors Society members alphabetically,” Betty says with no room for argument. 

The two groups of teens glare at each other, neither side willing to make the first move. “Get to it!” Betty exclaims with a clap of her hands, startling both groups out of their staring contest. 

The Serpents are lazily leaning against the gym wall, silently daring the Northsiders to make a move while the Honors Society members seem glued to their spots on the gym floor.

Betty rolls her eyes and puts one saddle shoe in front of the other to get the ball rolling. Betty feels emboldened when she hears the click of Veronica’s sleek, black pumps behind her. Jughead smirks as he pushes himself off the wall to make his way towards the feisty blonde. Sweet Pea follows close behind. 

“Betty, was it?” Jughead asks with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

“Betty Cooper, at your service,” she says with a mock salute and a sly smile. Jughead plays it cool, but he wants to kiss that little smile right off her face. 

“Since I’m the leader of the Serpents here,” he says with a gesture to the group of intimidating gang members behind him, “and you’re head of the bookworm club, the way I see it, we belong together.”

“That sounds logical,” Betty responds with a shrug, also trying to play it cool. 

“And who is this tall drink of water?” Veronica interrupts with a point to the Serpent towering over the two girls. 

“Depends who’s asking, dollface,” Sweet Pea responds with a wink. 

“Veronica Lodge,” she introduces as she extends her hand for him to kiss. 

Sweet Pea looks at the offered hand and falls to one knee before gently placing a kiss on her manicured fingers. 

“Sweet Pea,” he says looking up to Veronica after letting go of her hand. 

“Pleasure,” Veronica replies with a hint of sass. 

“Just you wait,” Sweet Pea promises as he stands back up to his full height, “partner?”

“Just try to keep up, dollface,” she teases with a raise of her perfectly painted eyebrow. 

Jughead can’t believe just how perfect his plan has come together as the rest of the Honors Society and Serpents grudgingly start introducing themselves to each other before the bell signals it’s time to make their way to class.

* * *

Betty and Veronica walk arm-in-arm out of the gym with Jughead and Sweet Pea hot on their heels. The two girls look like polar opposites, but Jughead gets the idea that they’re really more like two sides of the same coin. On the outside there’s Betty in her full skirts and saddle shoes and Veronica in her tight fitting clothes and heels wiggling around like a New York City socialite, but he sees the same spark in Veronica that he was attracted to in Betty. Veronica may not be his type, but he gets the feeling that she will make a good friend. 

“Where’re we goin’?” Sweet Pea asks.

“I thought I told you to keep up,” Veronica teases, “I sure hope you can take orders.”

“Oh, you can boss me around all you like, dollface,” Sweet Pea says with a little tug to the clasp sitting on the nape of her neck for her pristine string of pearls. Veronica bats his hand away but shoots him a flirtatious look over her shoulder. 

“Come on, Betty Boop, what’s the story?” Sweet Pea whines. “What’s our first class at Riverdale High?” 

“History, it’s just down this hall,” Betty responds patiently. 

“Speaking of history, thank heavens Archie has a different class schedule,” Veronica not so quietly whispers to Betty.

Jughead’s jaw tightens and he counts to three in his head to calm the flare of anger burning through him from just a casual mention of Betty’s boyfriend. He shouldn’t say anything, but that jerk really grinds his gears. 

“Don’t think Big Red would be happy with Weatherbee’s buddy system?” Jughead tries to joke, but he can’t hide the steel in his voice. 

“I’m sure he won’t be keen on the arrangement, but luckily Archie is ancient history for my dear Bettykins,” Veronica coos as she pinches Betty’s cheek. 

“Well, ain’t that a bite,” Jughead says without a trace of disappointment.

“V!” Betty scolds as she pushes her friend off of her in annoyance. 

“Don’t flip your lid, B,” Veronica soothes. “We’re going to have to get used to our new entourage and Daddy says that snakes are the best at keeping secrets. You boys would never rat us out, right?”

“My lips are sealed, my little chickadees,” Sweet Pea says as he wraps his long arms around the shoulders of both girls. Jughead swats Sweet Pea’s head to get him off the ladies, despite them looking surprisingly comfortable draped in leather clad arms. 

“We’ll be quiet as church mice,” Jughead confirms with a smirk as Sweet Pea falls back into step at Jughead’s side. He can see the flush burn up the back of Betty’s neck and he wishes he could see her face. 

Before he can poke her shoulder just to see her look back at him she makes a hard, right turn into the classroom. They find their seats and he’s not sure if he’s disappointed that he’s not directly behind her so he can play with her ponytail or excited because he’s sitting so close next to her. 

Jughead tries to focus, but all he gets from the entire lesson is that the teacher is Mr. Honey and that’s only because it’s written on the blackboard. He has so many questions about Betty’s breakup that he might burst from curiosity and excitement. He steals glances at the beautiful girl next to him diligently taking notes and making every attempt not to meet his gaze. 

In what feels like seconds, the bell rings and students start to shuffle out of the small desks. He leans back in his chair and brings both hands to rub his face hard to get his head back in the game. If he has any chance of staying at Riverdale High with Betty he’s going to have to pay attention in class. When Jughead removes his hands dramatically from his face he sees Betty standing over his desk with a knowing smirk. 

“Ready for Chemistry?” she asks sweetly.

“Lead the way, Betts,” he says, already choking in the chemistry between them.

* * *

Betty has the shrewd eye of a journalist. It’s only been three days since the Southside students arrived and she sees that Riverdale High is a powder keg of testosterone ready to blow up with a simple light of a match. The question isn’t if, but when and who. Will the Bulldogs try to mark their territory or will the Serpents want to strike preemptively? Between the constant attention of Jughead and the jealous eye of Archie, Betty feels that, unfortunately, no matter the when or the who, she will be the why. 

She leans against her locker just after her last class and plays with the bottom button of her cardigan as she tries to puzzle out how to disentangle herself from this inevitable turf war. Lost in thought, she doesn’t notice Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Veronica walking towards her.

“Earth to Bettykins,” Veronica says as she gives Betty’s nose a playful tap to get her attention. Betty’s face splits into a smile and taps her friend’s nose in greeting. 

“Is this some kind of Northside thing?” Sweet Pea jokes as he taps Betty and Veronica’s noses at the same time. Betty rolls her eyes, already used to Sweet Pea’s sense of humor. She knows that he’s harmless, at least to her. She saw his brass knuckles peek out of his pocket this afternoon when he was fishing out his wallet from his jeans pocket to pay for lunch. There’s no question that there’s a dangerous side to the Serpents, but for whatever reason they all seem to accept her as a sort of Northside ally. She’s not going to question it. If push comes to shove and she has to choose sides, she knows that she won’t hesitate backing the Serpents. 

“I see those wheels turning, Betts,” Jughead says, studying her. “Don’t hurt yourself over there.”

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” she teases back.

“We have no doubt about that, kitten,” Sweet Pea says as he wraps his long arm around her shoulder, “but it’s nice to have friends in low places. Just keep that in mind.”

“Noted,” Betty deadpans. “Thank you, Sweet Pea,” she says a little softer as she squeezes the hand dangling from her shoulder. 

She can see Jughead squirm a bit, most likely due to the lack of her attention he is getting at the moment. 

“You need brain food. We should all go to Pop’s,” Jughead throws out to the group.

“Hells bells! I could go for a black cow right about now,” Sweet Pea interjects. “Can you join, dollface?” he asks Veronica.

“Archie  _ is _ busy with football practice for the evening, so I could be persuaded to come along if you get me a chocolate shake,” Veronica bargains. 

“With a cherry on top?” Sweet Pea says with a wink. Betty pushes herself off the locker to get out of his grip while he flirts with her best friend. 

“Naturally,” Veronica says with a raise of her eyebrow. 

“Where ya off to, Betts?” Jughead asks, failing to hide his concern at her sudden exit.

“I have to go to the office to phone my mother to tell her I won’t make it to dinner,” she says with a shrug. “Meet you in the parking lot.”

“Atta girl!” he responds with a wink. 

Betty calls her house and thanks her lucky stars that by some miracle her father is the one that picks up. She’s able to quickly get permission to have fun getting dinner with her friends without the intense interrogation her mother would have put her through. Within five minutes she’s practically skipping down the school stairs. 

As Betty reaches the last step Jughead rides his motorcycle right in front of her. His heavy boot pushes down the kickstand and her mouth runs dry. He turns the loud motor off and looks at her expectantly. 

“Sweet Pea and Veronica already left,” Jughead says as he hands her a helmet with a crown scratched into the front. “Guess you’re mine, princess.”

Betty takes it and runs her fingertips over the etched crown. She takes a steadying breath and says, “Just go slow,” as she puts the helmet over her ponytail.

“No, no, no,” Jughead tisks as he flicks the kickstand up. “It’s much more dangerous if we go slow. You’re just going to have to hold on tight.”

Betty settles in behind him with her skirt tucked in as much as possible and happily obliges his instructions as the motor revs to life. She closes her eyes tight, presses her body to his back, and squishes her head so that her cheek feels the rough embroidery of the angry snake on his jacket. After a minute of absolute terror, she’s able to open her eyes and lift up her head while still holding on tight. 

It’s exhilarating! The wind on her skin. The rumble of the motor between her legs. The lean muscles of the boy in her arms. This is what freedom feels like. 

They pull into Pop’s all too soon and Betty tries to not to do something stupid like dance to no music from all the excitement or kiss the dreamboat she was wrapped around in front of the diner. 

Veronica and Sweet Pea are leaning on Sweet Pea’s shiny black car with matching smiles on their faces. They were just talking about how perfect their best friends are for each other as Jughead shows up with Betty on the back of his bike.

“Hey guys,” Jughead says with a big smile of his own after helping Betty get back on her feet. 

“Hay is for horses,” Sweet Pea jokes and makes himself laugh.

“Um, where are we going to sit?” Betty asks the group. It didn’t cross their minds that they can’t be seen on the north OR south sides of the bell since they’re mixed company. 

“Afraid to be seen with us or something, blondie?” Sweet Pea questions lightheartedly. 

“I think it’s a lot too late for that, silly,” Betty quips. “I just don’t want to cause a commotion again. If you’ll remember the last time we were all here the entire diner was kicked out.”

“The counter,” Veronica states as she starts walking towards the entrance. “Let’s go.”

They all follow the decisive brunette and set up camp at the (thankfully) empty counter. Within minutes they have ordered and Jughead turns his rotating stool to look down at Betty as she plays with the bottom button of her cardigan again. 

“Come on, B, spill,” Veronica pipes in.

“I think I have it all worked out, but I’ll need your help,” Betty says as she continues to fumble with her button.

“You skipped a chapter there, kitten,” Sweet Pea jokes from the end of the counter. 

“Right, ok, so the way I see it if we want to keep the Serpents at Riverdale High, we have to keep them in Weatherbee’s good graces,” Betty spits out.

“Is Weatherbee not keen on them?” Veronica asks as their drinks arrive. To which Jughead and Sweet Pea both scoff from their seats.

“Realistically, he has some stuffy Northside biases against Southsiders, so it’s not made in the shade,” Betty says. “So the Serpents need to be on their best behavior, that means attending class, doing their homework, and not getting caught up in any fights with the Northsiders.”

“Easier said than done there, sweetie,” Sweet Pea responds before taking a sip of his black cow straight from the mug, leaving an ice cream mustache in its wake. 

“That’s why I’ll need your help,” Betty replies and then bites into the cherry from the top of her shake.

“At your service, Betts,” Jughead says, eyes watching her mouth. “What’s the plan?”

“I will be checking in with the Honors Society to ensure that the buddy system is working and offer to organize a weekly study group for extra credit. I think that I should also talk to Weatherbee to let him know that I’m worried about the tension between the football team and the new students. I’m going to suggest that he tell Coach Clayton that if any team member is involved in a fight on campus, then the football season will be cancelled, meaning they don’t get to finish the playoffs. It’s only fair if Southside students have been threatened with expulsion for the same behavior,” Betty says, gesturing nervously with her hands. 

“I love your illuminations, B!” Veronica preens. 

“Jug, I need you to talk to your crew to make sure they’re on board. It won’t work if everyone’s not following their marching orders,” Betty states matter-of-factly.

“The troops will fall in line, don’t you worry, Betts,” Jughead says with a mock salute. 

“The last hurdle is going to be the PTA. If they make enough of a ruckus, the school board and Northside community might get involved and it will be exponentially harder to deal with a public forum than Weatherbee,” Betty explains.

“Who’s the head of the PTA? Maybe we should talk to them directly,” Jughead says. 

“My mother,” Betty says with a sigh of defeat. 

“Tough cookie?” Sweet Pea questions.

“My mother is...strict,” Betty says before taking a sip of her strawberry shake. 

“More like soviet, babycakes,” Veronica corrects. 

“I think it’s that I’m the only kid still in the house. All of her attention is zeroed in on me, but I guess that’s just how she shows her love,” Betty reasons.

“That’s sweet of you to say, B, but Alice Cooper is a prison warden hidden behind a facade of crinoline and Chanel No. 5,” Veronica responds.

“Control isn’t love, Betts,” Jughead says seriously.

Sweet Pea notices Betty’s discomfort with the subject and does his best to break the tension. “I don’t know, Jug,” he says while turning to face Veronica, “I would love to have a sweet little thing tell me what to do.” Jughead punches him on the arm while Betty and Veronica both roll their eyes.

“Back to the topic at hand, I think you’re right, Jug,” Betty says, letting out a deep breath. “I need to talk to her while my father is in the room so she doesn’t shut me down immediately. If I mention extra credit and then finish it with a point about ‘loving thy neighbor as thyself’ there shouldn’t be room for argument.”

“Uh! You are so smart, B! Yes! When in doubt, go biblical,” Veronica beams. “It’s the ultimate trump card for parental debates.”

Sweet Pea leans back in his stool to stretch his long legs under the counter and chuckles to himself. 

“Any more enlightened thoughts from the peanut gallery?” Jughead says as he elbows his friend in the ribs. 

“I never thought there would be anyone better than Jug at scheming up kookie plans, but I can see now that he’s met his match,” Sweet Pea says with a laugh. “It’s just funny that there’s such a ruthless brain under all that pretty blonde hair. When you two put your heads together, the world better watch out.”

“Guess you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” Betty responds as she raises an eyebrow and locks eyes with Jughead. 

* * *

Sun pours through the threadbare curtains in Jughead’s room late Saturday morning. He was out late with the Serpents last night and it feels like he went to sleep only minutes ago even if it’s been a few hours. They started the night making their presence known at the Riverdale High football game by smoking by the bleachers and then made their way to the Wyrm where they played pool and drank pitchers of beer as the jukebox blasted. He was too wired thinking about Betty in that cute cheerleader uniform to fall asleep when he got home. The light wakes him from a dream of her shaking those adorable pom poms that he would rather continue and he groans into his pillow. 

Jughead flips on his back and stares at the water stained ceiling, enjoying the quiet of his room. He thinks about the enigma that is Betty Cooper. She’s so much more than her goody-two-shoes persona. Yes, she’s got that gorgeous girl-next-door look and she’s the ideal student, but Sweet Pea is right, her brain can be ruthless. And it’s so damn sexy. 

Betty’s plan to keep the Serpents off of the radar of both the PTA and school administrators is nothing short of masterful. It’s only been a week, but they’ve successfully stayed out of trouble and even Sweet Pea is hitting the books. He feels the animosity radiating off of the Bulldogs in their ugly letterman jackets, but Weatherbee’s threat to cut the football season short if he has to break up any fights involving a member of the team has gone a long way. 

His face splits into a wide grin as he thinks of Archie Andrew. The ginger blockhead stares at Betty like a kicked puppy and Jughead’s favorite new game is to touch her whenever he catches Archie looking at her. A tug of the ponytail, tap on the nose, or, his favorite, taking her books from her arms. All of it sets Big Red into a rage that he can’t do anything about. It’s fantastic. Jughead realizes that he’s poking the bear, but he really doesn’t care because he’s the one meeting Betty at the library in a few hours while Archie probably writes sad break up songs in his room. 

* * *

“I have a surprise for you,” Betty’s voice tinkles as she skips over to their table and takes a seat in the chair he strategically placed next to him. She opens up her book bag and places a brown, paper bag in front of him on the table. The aroma of baked cinnamon and sugar waft to his nose and his mouth begins to water. There are little dark spots around the bottom of the bag from where the butter seeped through and his stomach emits a loud grumble in anticipation. She laughs and her smile makes it all the way to her eyes. 

“I want to say that seeing you is all I need, but I’ll be honest, Betts, whatever is in that bag is the best thing I’ve ever smelled. I think I might die if I don’t open it right now and have a taste,” Jughead says with a smirk.

“‘Death by snickerdoodle’ would be interesting to see on an autopsy report,” she quips as Jughead carefully unrolls the top of the bag to see the abundance of cookies stacked neatly inside. 

“This is no joking matter,” he says seriously as he pulls a perfectly round cookie out of the bag and takes a big bite. Crumbs fall around him and scatter around his mouth as he makes a show of chewing. 

Jughead eats four cookies in quick succession, making a big show of how good they are by rolling his eyes back and moaning while he savors the sweet. His dramatic reaction makes Betty giggle without reservation, which only encourages his silly behavior. Jughead brushes the crumbs from his face and smiles at the laughing girl in front of him. It’s  _ fun _ to make her laugh. It feels like Betty is the only person he can be completely himself around and he loves to see her let loose when they’re together. 

Jughead rolls the bag back down to keep the thoughtful treat fresh for later and quietly says, “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, Jug,” Betty responds with a shake of her head. 

“It’s definitely not nothing, Betts,” Jughead says earnestly. “Nobody has ever baked for me.”

“Well, I’m glad you like them,” Betty replies as she twirls the end of her ponytail through her elegant fingers. 

“I love them,” Jughead says with a warm smile. Betty smiles as she bites down on her bottom lip and looks away in a moment of bashfulness. Jughead takes the cue to get out his textbooks and notebook so they can start working on the mountain of homework he was assigned his first week at Riverdale High. 

Betty follows his lead and takes her history book and notebook out of her bag. They work on their assignments quietly, content to be next to each other. They occasionally ask the other to look over a sentence that feels funny or what they think a prompt means. 

Jughead isn’t used to such focused studying, so after a couple hours he pushes the notebook away from him and leans his chair back as he harshly moves his hands over his face. He would kill for a cup of coffee and a burger, or three. He stretches and wiggles in the uncomfortable, wooden chair in an attempt to refocus. As he reaches his hands above his head he looks down to see Betty writing meticulous notes in her loopy cursive. He can’t help but be impressed by her stamina to learn such boring material. 

If he’s being completely honest, he’s impressed and now highly distracted by the girl next to him. The sun shining from the window behind them makes it look like she’s glowing. It’s warm for Spring in Riverdale, so much so that he opted for only a thin, white undershirt to wear under his jacket. Betty is in a very pale pink sundress that he’s only now really noticing. She had her cardigan buttoned all the way up when she arrived, but sometime between then and now she has taken off her sweater. The view is absolutely breathtaking. The small straps are thin as spaghetti and the open neck displays more skin than even the one time he saw her in her nightgown. 

Jughead needs her attention or he just might do something stupid like kiss her pretty pink lips. He reaches out and gives her ponytail a very gentle tug and then looks away in mock innocence when she turns her head in his direction. Instead of punching his shoulder or scolding him, she surprises him again when she reaches into her bag and pulls out her own worn copy of  _ The Catcher in the Rye _ . 

“I’m guessing you need a break from Mr. Honey’s essay questions,” she says as she slides the book towards him like a bartender tossing over a mug of beer to a regular. Jughead moves his hand up and pushes it back down at just the right time to stop the book in front of him. He takes a second to enjoy the feeling of the creases in the paperback cover before losing his cool all together.

“Betts, you have to stop,” Jughead warns as he yanks off his hat and runs a hand through his thick, black hair in an effort to keep his hands to himself. “I’m at the end of my rope being so close to you all week. If you tease me with copies of my favorite books with your notes in the margins, then I cannot be held responsible for what happens next.” 

“You don’t  _ know _ that I write notes in the margins,” Betty argues. 

“That is rich, Betts,” Jughead responds, leaning his chair back so it teeters on just the back legs. His white undershirt rides up as he brings his hands to rest behind his head and he notices Betty’s gaze fall down to the strip of naked skin just above his jeans. 

He rights his chair then and moves a little closer so that his thigh is touching hers and says, “In pencil no less. How respectful of you.” He holds her gaze as he slowly takes out the small pencil Betty sometimes hides at the base of her ponytail. 

“What would happen next?” Betty asks, ignoring his correct assumption of her reading habits and pretending not to be distracted by his close proximity. “I believe it’s always best to know specific consequences to be an informed decision maker.”

“I thought I was clear as crystal, baby,” Jughead jokes with a smirk, trying to keep up their flirty banter. 

“No, Juggie, tell me specifically,” she says as she lets out a breath and looks up at him with her big, green eyes. “Explicitly.”

The mood shifts suddenly with that one word and it feels like all of the air is sucked out of their small corner of the library. Betty is so close that their shoulders are touching. She smells like the snickerdoodles she baked earlier and something distinctly, sweetly  _ her _ . His mouth waters thinking what she would taste like as Jughead’s brain floods with images of all of the ways he wants to kiss her. He curls his hands into fists at his sides as he thinks of all the ways he wants to feel her. 

“That’s a dangerous game you’re playing, Betts,” he responds, voice low and gruff. 

“And you’re a dangerous man?” she whispers, not breaking eye contact as she plays with the zipper dangling just under the table littered with their textbooks of the Serpent jacket he’s wearing. Jughead nods seriously and sits very still, not wanting to spook her. 

She runs her fingertip from the zipper to the patches on his sleeve. She seems lost in the changing textures. The warm metal of the zipper to the cool, worn leather of the jacket, to the bumps of embroidery of his patches. Even just her fingertips ghosting over his thick, outer layer give him goosebumps. Jughead wonders if she’s thinking of what that jacket represents and if she’s willing to throw her life away to get mixed up with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

“Juggie?”

“Yeah, Betts?”

“Would you ever hurt me?”

“Never!” Jughead declares before she can even get out the full question. “I promise,” he says sincerely as he brings his hands up to cup her face. “I would never hurt you, baby,” he promises as he strokes the apples of her cheeks, his eyes a little wet with emotion. 

“Then this isn’t so dangerous for me,” Betty says just before moving her hands up his chest and pushing her mouth onto his. He lets her kiss him square on his lips for about five seconds before he pulls her face closer so he can deepen the kiss. He keeps one hand on her cheek, blazing hot from the flush of anxious desire blooming throughout her body, and he moves the other down to grab her waist and maneuver her body to press against his. Their knees knock under the table as they desperately pull at each other in their awkwardly seated position. 

The loud thud of a stack of books toppling over in the storage room on the other side of the library startles them into breaking away from each other’s embrace. Jughead watches Betty smooth her dress as she repositions herself on her own chair. Her lips look swollen and her porcelain skin is painted with splotches of the most gorgeous dark pink he has ever seen. Her pupils are still dilated and little, blonde flyaways are escaping from her tight ponytail, curling around the crown of her head. 

It’s not Betty’s physical appearance that hits Jughead the hardest, though. No, it’s the excitement and joy radiating off of her that makes it feel like his heart is caught in a vice. He can’t believe that he is able to make her happy like that. He wants to make her feel this good forever. At that moment Jughead realizes that this isn’t just a silly crush. He is completely gone for Betty Cooper and there’s no turning back. 

* * *

Betty’s heart is beating through her chest and her pulse is still racing. She just kissed Jughead Jones and it feels like there is fizzy soda bubbling through her veins. She excuses herself from the table and spends 5 minutes in the library bathroom making sure her appearance won’t set off any alarms with her mother. She combs her hair back into a tight ponytail, reapplies her  _ Pink Perfection _ lipstick, and buttons her cardigan all the way up to her throat. 

Betty holds Jughead’s hand as they stroll to the heavy, main door of the old library. He makes a point to open the door for her and she has to stop herself from fanning herself. She feels absolutely giddy and simultaneously distraught at having to leave him for the night. She wishes she could hop on the back of his bike and they would just ride off into the sunset like in a movie. 

Jughead gives a chaste kiss to Betty’s hand before he makes his way to his motorcycle parked around the corner. Betty waits until she hears the rev of his motor before squealing in excitement. She makes her way home in a giggly haze, wondering if this feeling is what they call punch drunk love. 

Betty’s world comes crashing down when she sees Archie leaving her house. Waving farewell to her mother now standing on the front porch. She tries to breathe through the panic threatening to engulf her. 

What is he doing there?

What did he tell her mother?

How did he know? 

Betty takes another deep breath and reminds herself that she had just kissed Jughead 30 minutes ago, so there’s no way anyone else could know. She repositions her book bag on her shoulder, tightens her ponytail, and rolls her shoulders back. She’s ready to face her mother. 

She makes her way up the paved walkway and stops at the bottom step, looking up at the fake smile of her mother.

“Oh, Elizabeth, I’m so glad you’re home,” Alice says, brimming with excitement. 

“I’m happy to be home as well. Tutoring is exhausting, but worthwhile work,” Betty responds with a small smile. 

“I still don’t like you spending time with Southside riff raff, but that’s neither here nor there,” Alice replies. Betty does her best to make polite eye contact and not fidget under her mother’s gaze. 

“Did you see that Archie stopped by?” Alice asks with a sly smile.

“No, mam,” Betty lies. “What did he have to say?”

“He asked for permission to take you to the opening night at the Twilight Drive-In tonight. It’s a double feature, so he knew it would be past your curfew,” Alice hums. “What a thoughtful boy.”

“He’s very thoughtful,” Betty says, trying to keep her cool. 

“Well come along, young lady! We only have an hour to get you ready!” Alice commands with a clap.

“You told him yes?” Betty asks, really trying not to panic. 

“You can thank me on your wedding day,” Alice preens. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this update took so long! I got preoccupied with the one shot, Mechanics of a Kiss, which I suggest for more Bughead first kiss feels. I DID make this chapter extra long (for your pleasure). I hope that makes up for the wait. I was listening to "We Belong Together" on repeat, so there are some lyrics peppered in there. 
> 
> Once again, this is un-betaed. I apologize for any mistakes and hope you like me despite my obvious flaws. 
> 
> Please keep your comments and kudos coming!! I absolutely LOVE your feedback <3
> 
> Tumbl with me @jjonesin4


	8. Double Feature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a difference a week makes! In just seven days Betty Cooper has caught the eye of the Serpent Prince, stopped a potentially fatal drag race, broke up with the boy her mother wants her to marry, managed the transition of a rough-and-tumble gang from Southside High to RHS, cheered at the Friday night game, and kissed Jughead in the library! 
> 
> Find out what happens when her mother agrees to let her ex-boyfriend take her to the opening night of the Twilight Drive-In for a double feature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Sexual Harassment- Archie gets handsy and I hate it. I will put "******" before and after the section in case you want to skip over it.

Archie is cruising around town in his freshly washed and waxed red and white Ford Thunderbird on Saturday afternoon, thinking about how his entire world has turned upside down in just a week. 7 days ago he was writing a song for Betty as he got ready to pick up Veronica for their date at Pop’s. 6 days ago he was walking Betty home from the library, checking in on her to make sure that she was ok after that snake used her to stir up trouble. 5 days ago, still reeling from the breakup that came out of left field, he had to watch a gang of worthless hoods invade Riverdale High and cozy up to Betty _and_ Veronica. To add insult to injury, he can’t even knock the block off of any of the smug bastards without letting his team down. 

Man, life sure was swell before Jughead Jones entered the scene to bird dog his girl. 

He’s confident that if he can just get some time with Betty, then he can talk some sense into her and life will go back to being peachy keen. The question now is how is he going to do that?

Archie gets an idea when he passes the Twilight Drive-In advertising their season opener tonight. If he’s really polite to Mrs. Cooper, maybe he can charm his way into a full night alone with Betty and set all of their lives back on track. 

* * *

Archie is nervous walking up to the Cooper’s red door. He gives it a knock and Betty answers before his knuckles fall on the wood again. Relief floods over him when she seems perfectly happy to see him. It’s hard for him to keep his eyes from wandering over the tight fitting top of her mint green, plaid dress, but he is able to get himself together enough to greet Mr. and Mrs. Cooper quickly before they wave him off to have a good night. 

He opens the door for Betty, like always, and she swishes in gracefully. It’s like nothing has changed and the thought puts a little pep in his step as he makes his way to the driver side. 

“Care to explain yourself, Archie Andrews?” Betty asks sternly, wrapping herself in a dark blue cardigan as he closes the heavy door and slides onto the white, leather seat. Archie is surprised by her straightforwardness and the anger behind her typically kind eyes. 

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” he blurts out as he starts the car and backs out of his driveway. “You said that you wanted to be friends, Betty,” Archie says earnestly, hoping to make her feel guilty for ignoring him all week. It seems to work as the tension in her expression softens. 

“Look, there’s no monkey business going on here,” he says as he gives her shoulder what he hopes feels like a comforting squeeze. “It’s just that I haven’t been able to talk to you all week and I thought this was a good chance for a friendly, um, outing.”

“Why haven’t you been able to talk to me?” Betty asks, looking genuinely curious as he continues to drive. 

“Are you serious, Betty?” Archie responds with a scoff. 

“Yes,” Betty declares confidently as she watches him drive. “I’m just not sure what you mean, Archie. I don’t want you to think that I’ve been avoiding you, because I haven’t.”

“Maybe you haven’t been _trying_ to avoid me, but your bodyguards have made it crystal clear that I’m not welcome,” Archie says as he tightens his hands on the steering wheel. 

“What are you talking about? Bodyguards?” Betty asks incredulously. It makes Archie feel that she thinks he should be locked up in the looney bin. 

They hit a red light and he levels her with a gaze. The red light bounces off her porcelain face and he lets out an exacerbated exhale from his nose in an attempt to not get distracted. 

“The snakes that slither around you all the time,” Archie says with disgust as the light turns green and he hits the gas pedal. “Those greasy Serpents never let you out of their sight. I feel like if I even try to say hello to you in front of them it will end with me punching one of their lights out and then the football season is over. I can’t do that to my teammates.” 

Betty looks like she wants to say something, but she just looks down at her hands folded in her lap as he turns into the entrance of the Twilight Drive-In. Archie moves to turn his blinker off and feels Betty’s hand tentatively brush his shoulder. 

“I didn’t realize, Archie,” Betty says, eyes still downcast. “I’m sorry,” she apologizes as she looks up to him with her big, innocent eyes. The kindness once again behind the shining green. Archie melts a bit and gives the hand on his shoulder a little squeeze. 

“It’s not your fault, sweetheart,” he responds before he remembers that she’s no longer his sweetheart. She moves her hand away and puts it back in her lap a little too quickly after the endearment slips from his lips. 

“I mean, um, it’s okay,” he fumbles, “Betty.”

Betty takes pity on the boy drowning in awkwardness next to her and gives him an amused eye roll with a smile painting her lovely face. 

“It might take us some time to learn how to be friends again,” Betty says with a warm smile. 

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Archie says with a relieved chuckle. “I’ll work on it.”

“So will I, Arch,” Betty responds, feeling optimistic about Archie’s friendly intentions as they pull into the next open spot in the middle of the back row. 

“Since we’re here as friends and you paid for admission, I will go get us snacks,” Betty says, reaching for her door handle. “How does popcorn and two cherry Cokes sound?”

“Sounds like I could get used to this friends thing,” Archie says with a toothy grin. “Do you want some help gettin-”

“Andrews!” Reggie interrupts as he bangs on Archie’s hood. Archie throws his head outside his open window and smells the beer Reggie must have snuck from the fridge in Mr. Mantle’s garage. 

“Watch the paint there, Reg,” Archie chuckles as the buzzed wide receiver takes a step back from his ride. He looks to his right to apologize for this bonehead and notices that Betty has already slipped away. 

* * *

Betty has never been so relieved to see Reggie Mantle. The tipsy Bulldog is the perfect distraction for her to go to the snack stand by herself. She’s hopeful that her and Archie can have a pleasant evening, but she craves a little space to get herself mentally prepared to be confined in such close quarters with him for the next five hours. 

Betty absentmindedly plays with the bottom of her sweater as she makes her way towards the snack stand, wishing Veronica wasn’t in New York with her parents for the weekend so she could help her out of this pickle. The sound of heavy boot thuds fill her ears and before she knows it, the looming presence of Sweet Pea is behind her in the concession line. 

He leans down and asks discreetly, “You good, princess?” 

Betty lets her head fall back so it hits softly against Sweet Pea’s chest as she lets out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding in so tight. Having Sweet Pea here oddly makes her feel more comfortable about, well...everything. 

“I’m handling it,” she says with her eyes still closed as she straightens back up. 

“Roger that, kitten,” he responds cooly. “I’ll be with the Serpents by the bleachers and Jug is in the booth if you need backup.”

“Thanks, Pea,” Betty mumbles almost to herself. “Wait, why is Jughead in the projection booth?” she asks as she turns to face him, unable to hide her surprise.

“Summer job,” Sweet Pea responds with a shrug. 

Betty nods her head as she turns back around and moves up with the line. There’s so much to learn about Jughead Jones. She bites down on her lower lip as memories of their recent kiss flash through her mind. Knowing that he is so close makes her blood feel fizzy all over again. She fumbles with the ends of her sweater to keep her hands busy. It takes everything in her to suppress an audible groan as the knowledge sinks in that she’s going to be trapped in Archie’s car making boring small talk instead of perched on Jughead’s lap, helping work the projector and stealing kisses. 

Sweet Pea tugs on her ponytail as the line moves again, bringing her back to reality enough to place her order. She gets her popcorn, two sodas, and some licorice for Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea scoops up the cups and popcorn before she can get her hands on all of it, leaving her with only his licorice. 

“I can manage, but thank you Pea,” Betty tells him politely. 

“And pass up the chance to say howdy to Howdy Doody himself, fat chance,” he responds with a devious smirk.

“No!” Betty scolds.

“Pleeeeeease,” the towering gang member pleads like a child whining for extra dessert. 

“Do you promise to behave?” she scolds again.

“Don’t I always, cupcake?” he says with a wink.

Betty just rolls her eyes as they make their way back to Archie’s car, hoping that Reggie has gone back to his date before showing up with her intimidating escort. 

* * *

******

Aside from the curt exchange between Sweet Pea and Archie before the first movie, the night is perfectly uneventful so far. Archie makes companionable chit chat between bites of popcorn and Betty is able to relax and enjoy the syrupy sweetness of her cherry Coke throughout the first movie. At intermission Archie visits with his teammates as Betty catches up with Midge while waiting in the bathroom line. 

Halfway through the second movie Archie stretches his arms and rests his long, left arm across the seat and behind Betty’s head. Betty finds it irritating, but not worth a fight, so she discreetly schooches up the cushioned bench to ensure her shoulders don’t touch his arm.

“Man, it feels like forever since intermission. A double feature needs a seventh inning stretch,” Archie jokes as he stretches his arms again. This time his hand lands on Betty’s shoulder and it makes her want to crawl out of her skin. She jerks away to resettle the sweater resting on her shoulders and he gets the hint.

“Whoops, sorry, sweetheart,” he apologizes as he returns his hand to his lap. “I mean, sorry, Betty,” he says with an awkward chuckle. 

Betty can see right through his clumsy attempts to hit on her and her patience is running thin. She tells herself that they’ll be on their way home in less than an hour. She rolls her shoulders back to regain her perfect posture and recenter her goal of getting through the night without any issues. 

“It’s ok,” Betty says with a bright, Cooper smile. 

Archie perks up at the return of his perfect girl-next-door and slides a little closer. Betty seems frozen to her spot, eyes fixed on the screen. She’s not pushing him away, so he figures that she must be keen on him to keep inching his way towards her. 

She looks so pretty illuminated by the moving light from the towering screen. He stops with enough space so that he can put his right hand on the bench seat next to her. His fingers graze the shiny fabric of her skirt and can hear her breath hitch even over the speaker blaring outside his window. 

After a moment of lazily playing with her skirt Archie moves his hand boldly to her knee and gives it a squeeze. 

“Archie, please stop,” Betty tries to say politely while keeping her eyes on the screen and moving his hand from her knee back to the seat, careful not to put it back on his lap.

“Why would you want me to stop, sweetheart?” Archie says lowly as he starts to move his hand to her thigh. “Don’t you ever wonder what it would feel like to be touched?” 

Betty wiggles away from his grasp and pushes her body against the passenger side door. 

“Not by you!” Betty spits out without thinking. 

Archie stills at her words, anger and jealousy washing over him. 

“Why you little whore!” Archie seeths. “Who is it, Betty?” he demands as he grabs onto her left arm. 

Betty tries to jiggle her arm out of his tight grasp, which only causes him to clamp down hard enough that she thinks he might break the bone. She lets out a high pitched gasp and whines, “Archie, please, you’re hurting me.”

Archie jerks her arm down harshly and roars, “TELL ME WHO!”

“Archie, please,” Betty cries out while frantically searching for the handle pressing into her lower back. She is able to open the heavy door with her right hand. The action startles Archie enough for him to lose his grip and Betty to escape.

******

* * *

Betty tumbles clumsily out of the car and slams the door shut as hard as she can, her cardigan gets stuck, ripping it in the process. She leaves it as she runs towards the snack stand, away from the neat rows of cars. Sweet Pea is hot on her heels and catches up to her before she reaches the abandoned counter, the employees long gone after the intermission rush. 

The light hits her left wrist, uncovering an angry cuff of red fingerprints. Sweet Pea’s features harden and muscles tighten, ready for a fight. His eyes are dark and his usually smiling mouth forms a tight line. He taps his right pocket and gives his left boot a shake before stomping off to find Archie Andrews to give him the primo beating he so greatly deserves. Betty throws herself into him and tugs impressively hard on the leather covering his right arm. 

“Sweet Pea, promise me that you or the other Serpents won’t touch any Bulldogs,” Betty pleads with tears welling in the corners of her eyes. 

He exhales deeply from his flaring nostrils and stares down at the scared, brave girl trying her best to stop a war. She swallows a sob and pulls down on his arm again to try to shake him from his rage. 

“Please, Pea,” she chokes out. “I don’t want you or any of the Serpents to take the heat. It’s not worth it.” 

“You’re definitely worth it, Betty,” he says fiercely. 

“I think that’s the first time you’ve said my name,” she says with a little laugh, still clutching his arm as if her tiny frame could physically hold him back. 

Sweet Pea can’t help but crack a smile at his new friend. He knows that Betty just wants to keep them safe from the bullshit prejudices in this stupid town. He’s never met a non-Serpent, let alone a Northsider, care about him or his gang and seeing the terror in her eyes makes him want to smash all the bones of anyone that ever hurt her. 

“Fine, I promise” he acquiesces. “We’ll stand down. For you.” Sweet Pea gently pulls his arm back and straightens his jacket. He bends down, places his massive hands on her shoulders and looks directly in her big, green eyes so she can see his lethal seriousness. “But, Betty, if any of them touch you again, then the deal is off. You’re under Serpent protection.” 

Betty nods slowly, giving his declaration the appreciation it deserves. Sweet Pea starts patting the pocket of his thick, leather jacket to find where he put his smokes and matchbook as she collects her thoughts. He’s just about to take out the crumpled pack of Luckys when Betty pulls his hand down and interlocks their pinkies. 

“I understand,” she says resolutely. With a shake of their joined fingers, she continues, “It’s a pinky promise.”

Sweet Pea genuinely cracks up when their hands release. It’s the most kookie thing he thinks he’s ever seen, and he’s seen a lot in his 16 years. This little blonde with a goddamn ribbon in her hair has just sealed her friendship to a hood with a neck tattoo via pinky swear.

“You’re a trip, kitten,” he admits with a shorter bout of laughter as he walks with her up to the projection booth.

* * *

“Hey there, stranger,” Jughead teases, trying to hide the excitement he feels by this surprise visit from his girl. “Have you been here all night? I would have come to steal you away if I had known.”

Betty just runs up and crashes herself into him, curling her small frame so she can feel as close as possible. She pulls her head from his chest and nuzzels into his neck. Her soft breath tickles as he wraps his long arms around her and gives the top of her head a reverent kiss. He can feel her choking back tears and his initial excitement quickly turns to concern. 

“Betts, baby,” he says gently, trying to get a look at her face still burrowed into his neck. “Is everything ok?”

“It is now,” she mumbles into his neck. The sentiment tugs at his heart, but it doesn’t help quell the nagging feeling that something is very wrong. 

“Baby, what happened?” he asks as he carefully guides her face away from his neck with his finger under her chin so he can see for himself that she’s all in one piece. 

“Nothing,” she says, eyes downcast, and he gives her chin a little squeeze. “Just,” she sighs and looks up at him and he spots the red marks on her delicate arm, “Archie-” 

“I’ll kill him,” he cuts her off, eyes dark and jaw set. Their attention snaps to the sound of approaching footsteps.

“BETTY!” Archie bellows from outside of the booth littered with menacing greasers leaning on the building along with the black cars and motorcycles scattered about the poorly lit corner of the drive-in. “Damnit, Betty! Get out here NOW!” he yells, not caring if he causes a scene. 

Inside the booth, Jughead steps away from Betty, throws his jacket on and makes his way to settle this once and for all, but Betty quickly blocks the door. 

“Juggie, please,” she begs as she moves her hands gently up his chest, “stay.” The rage coursing through his veins melts with her touch. He pulls her into a tight hug, reveling in the feeling of her in his arms and lets out a ragged breath. 

Outside, Sweet Pea pushes himself off of the brick wall of the booth, squares up, and cracks his knuckles intimidatingly. The other Serpents follow his lead and line up behind him. Some play with the sharp points of their switchblades while others hit their crowbars on their hands, shake their thick, metal chains, and spin their brass knuckles around their thumbs. He promised Betty that he wouldn’t touch the ginger bastard, but he didn’t say anything about scaring the pleats out of the idiot’s khakis.

“Fine!” Archie shouts while throwing up his hands above his head. “Throw your life away on this Southside TRASH, Betty! I don’t care anymore! I don’t need to waste my time on a chick that doesn’t even put out,” Archie seeths and then spits on the ground by Sweet Pea’s feet in disgust. He stomps off towards his car, pushing the crowd of curious teens out of his way. 

Sweet Pea knocks on the door of the projection booth to signal the all clear. Jughead presses a gentle kiss just under Betty’s ear before tearing himself away from her warm embrace. He snakes his arm around her waist and opens the door, feeling better knowing she is safe with him.

“Pea!” Jughead barks as he tosses the keys to his motorcycle and Sweet Pea throws the keys to his car. The boys catch each other’s keys one-handed at the same time without so much as a second glance. Betty is impressed and doesn’t fight the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite the turbulent evening. 

* * *

They don’t say a word once they get in the car. Jughead’s jaw clenches as he expertly drives out of the back entrance of the Twilight and through the dirt roads of Fox Forest. He cuts the engine when he reaches a clearing with a view of the moon glimmering off of the swift current of Sweetwater River. He hears Betty’s intake of breath and interrupts her before she can start talking.

“Maybe he’s right,” Jughead says quietly as he scuffs his heavy boot against the floor of Sweet Pea’s car. 

“What do you mean, Juggie?” Betty asks as she slides over the bench seat so that their thighs are touching. 

“You’re throwing your life away with me. I can’t give you a big house with a white picket fence. The only thing I’ll inherit is a gang. I can’t give you anything,” Jughead says as he watches the moonlight bounce off the river through the windshield. 

“You give me butterflies,” Betty flirts as she bats her long eyelashes and looks up at the brooding boy. 

“Your mother would argue that butterflies don’t pay the bills, Betts,” Jughead retorts with a raise of his eyebrow. 

“I am so tired of my present being completely consumed by my future!” Betty exclaims as she throws her fists into her lap, thudding into the layers of fabric of her dress. “I want to live life in the moment for once. I’m sixteen, for goodness sakes! I want to kiss you, maybe go to a dance, hold you close while we whip around on your bike- is that too much to ask?”

“I don’t think so, baby... I know it’s soon, but it’s hard for me to picture a future without you in it, if I’m being honest,” Jughead confesses as he wraps his long fingers around her tight fists. 

“In that future am I locked behind a white picket fence waiting for you to come home from work? Dinner on the table with children scurrying around my apron strings?” she inquires with a defiant look in her sparkling green eyes. 

“Is it pot roast?” Jughead asks with a raise of his eyebrow. 

“Juggie!” Betty huffs as she pushes his chest. 

“I’m just pulling your leg, Betts,” Jughead says with a chuckle. His face softens and he gently twirls his fingers through the golden curls of Betty’s ponytail. “To answer your question, though, no. I can’t picture you waiting around for anyone or anything. When I think about my future, I see you and me very clearly together and the details just fade away into the background.”

“That’s music to my ears, Juggie,” she says as the tension constantly coursing through her body visibly melts away. “My life has always felt fully mapped out, but, deep down, I know that I will break away someday. In the meantime, I’m just an actress playing the role of the perfect girl.” 

“Does the Academy know about you?” Jughead jokes with a mischievous smirk. 

“Goodness, Jug!” she says with a playful swat to his chest. She rests her head on his shoulder and looks out at the rushing waters of Sweetwater River. She whispers to him, “There’s a whole world to explore. Is it so radical for me to want to experience life?” 

“You’re a force of nature, baby. I would be honored to tag along on your adventures for as long as you’ll have me.” Jughead says while bringing his hand up to cup her cheek. Her skin is so soft under his calloused thumb. Betty leans into his touch and gives a small kiss to his hand before moving it into hers and folding both of her hands over his on her lap. 

“I’m not saying that I never want to be married with kids or even settle down to raise them in Riverdale some day, but I feel like it’s not the _only_ option,” she responds, needing him to really hear her. 

“Betts, I get it. You’re talking to someone that has been told since day one that they can never amount to anything more than a lowlife thug. Destined to be a mean drunk that doesn’t deserve respect or opportunities. No capacity to love or be loved because of the side of the stupid train tracks I was born on…”

“Juggie, that’s not true,” Betty interrupts as she climbs onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck, pinning herself between him and the big steering wheel. Willing him to feel her heartbeat.

“I know, Betts,” he says as he presses his forehead to hers. Jughead closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course,” Betty says as she moves her hand up by their faces and sticks her pinky out. “I pinky promise to keep your secrets safe.”

Jughead chuckles as he locks his pinky finger with hers and gives it a shake. He closes his eyes for a second and then says in a soft voice, “My mom split and took Jellybean away when I was in middle school. I thought that maybe she left me with FP because she thought that we were both lost causes.” 

Betty’s eyes are glistening as she fiddles with the pointy edges of his hat and waits for him to continue.

“FP drinks,” he says with a sigh, “a lot. He _is_ a mean drunk _and_ a lowlife thug, just like his old man.”

Betty does her best to listen even though all she wants to do is shower him in reassurance. 

“I was a hungry kid that needed help and the Serpents stepped up. They made sure I always had at least some food at the trailer and, more importantly, they kept FP at the Wyrm when he had too much to drink,” Jughead says while ghosting his fingers up and down her upper arm, enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin. “I joined up as soon as I was allowed and made a promise to myself that I would figure out a way to be better than my namesakes and take care of my Serpent family.”

“You’re doing so well, Juggie,” Betty whispers as she removes his hat and cards her fingers through his hair soothingly. 

“Ya’ know, Betts, I think that being pushed into a box has made me think of things differently,” Jughead says as he leans into her touch. 

“Yeah, I think I do,” Betty says before biting into her lower lip and moving her hands down to rest them on his shoulders. 

“It’s made me resourceful and…”

“Strategic. Like life is a big game of chess,” she interrupts with a knowing smile as she pulls her arms around his neck a little tighter and presses her body closer. His face splits into a smile as he rubs up and down the sides of her body. 

“Exactly! And you’re the first person I’ve met that can play the game better than me,” Jughead responds before crashing his lips into hers, desperate to feel connected to the beautiful girl in his lap. Betty surprises him by parting her lips to let him explore her mouth with his eager tongue. 

“Mmmmmm, I just want to be with you, Juggie,” she says breathily between sloppy kisses. “We’ll figure out a way to be together, right?”

Jughead moves his head back so that he can gaze into Betty’s enchanting green eyes. He sees a combination of hope, trust, and lust looking back at him and his heart squeezes in his chest. He puts his hands on either side of her face and rubs her jaw lovingly with his thumbs. 

“Baby, of course,” Jughead gushes as the corners of his mouth turn up into a warm smile. “The world better watch out when we put our heads together.” 

At that, Betty moves her hand down to the seat lever and pulls up. The seat jerks all the way down suddenly and crashes her chest even closer into Jughead. He lets out a surprised chuckle and moves his hands from her face to her back, pulling her entire body flush with his. Once she is as close as possible with all of the layers of her dress, he flicks the radio dial. Ritchie Valens is crooning _You’re Mine and We Belong Together_ as Betty leaves a trail of soft kisses on his neck from his jacket to his jaw. 

Betty feels the racing heartbeat of Jughead Jones under her as the fog accumulates on the windows above them. She thinks that she’s the luckiest gal in all of Riverdale to be able to experience her first love with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! I'm very sorry for the lag in this chapter. I'm working through a spell of guilt for taking time to enjoy writing and reading fic. 2020 is just creatively draining at times. 
> 
> PLEASE TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS! I really wanted to get this done for you all. I was fueled to continue by the lovely comments in previous chapters.


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